


Remembering What Didn't Happen

by catisacat



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Sacrifice Chloe Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-03-07 02:18:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 28,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13424631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catisacat/pseuds/catisacat
Summary: The sound of photographs, the pinch of a needle, the silence of darkness.Dreams plague Victoria every night since the death of Chloe Price by her best friend Nathan's hand.But something buried deep in her heart and mind is telling her they aren't dreams.





	1. Living a Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> I'm very excited to start this fanfic! I've had it planned for quite a while but I wanted to rewatch/replay the first Life is Strange before I tackled it. Love me some Maximum Victory and BTS reminded me I'm love Victoria.

The cold, hard ground of the immaculate room. Pressed harshly against her face. Lights pointed at her. She’s not alone. Max. Max Caulfield. Taped to a chair, above her. Jefferson is here. Mark Jefferson.

Not right now. Just her and Max. Talking to her. Hopeless. Trapped like rats. Far away from everyone. No one is coming. No one but Jefferson. A man's footsteps. Jefferson. Looming over her, grabbing her, dragging her. Begging for Max to help. She can't. She can't.

The sound of photographs, the pinch of a needle, the silence of darkness.

Panting, Victoria sat up straight in bed. The sunlight blinding her but being the biggest comfort she's ever known. Her dorm, her perfect, beautiful dorm.

It's been like this for Victoria for the past few days.

Every single night since Chloe Price had been killed on campus.

Worsening as Kate had attempted suicide.

She'd never felt so alone and in pain. More than anything she wanted Nathan at her side but ever since he'd shot Chloe he’s been detained in a mental institute.

Of course she'd visited him. He's her best friend. But he wasn't exactly in a place where he could comfort her and she didn't blame him. Instead letting him rest his head on her shoulder and cry into her cashmere sweater. Holding him. Wishing she'd helped him, some way, some how.

It was hard. Victoria never would have expected her best friend to ever kill someone.

And god, the revelation of what Mr. Jefferson was doing?

Victoria supposed these nightmares made sense, for all those reasons combined, but they were so vivid. So painful. They felt real, far too real. Feeling more like memories than nightmares.

Worst of all, she had no one she could tell about them.

Some weird part of her was begging her to talk to Max about it. But Max probably hated her and for good reason. What's Victoria going to do? Walk up and be like, “Hey, my best friend killed your ex best friend also I almost made your other friend kill herself! Now I'm having these crazy ‘our teacher is murdering us’ dreams. Wanna get lunch and talk about it?”

Sighing heavily, Victoria pushed herself out of bed. Regardless of how alone and scared she felt, she had to get up and live her life.

Grabbing her shower things, Victoria headed in. Catching her reflection in the mirror she desperately hoped the shower would do her some good. Sighing, the water beating down on her just felt cold and unpleasant no matter how hot she made it.

Stepping out, towel wrapped around her she wiped off the mirror to get a look at herself.

Nope, still looked like the walking fucking dead. Great.

With a befittingly zombie-like groan, Victoria started lurching out of the bathroom only to bump into someone.

All of both of their things fell to the ground with a thunderous clatter that echoed in the otherwise empty bathroom. Swearing under her breath, Victoria instinctively dropped to a crouch to gather up her things and hand back the other person's’, “Shit, fuck, I’m so sorry. My head’s just… gone.”

Looking up Victoria finally realized who it was she’d bumped into. A face she both desperately wanted to see but also never see ever again.

“Are you alright, Victoria?” Max asked, looking genuinely, extremely concerned.

Her eyes looking up, cold, dead, and empty, were even more telling than her actual words, “I'm… not great.

“You really don't look so hot, do you want me to help you back to your room?” Max reached out to her, helping pull her woozily off the ground, “I’m not a doctor or anything, but I don’t think you should go to class today. Want me to tell the sub they sent to cover Mr. Jefferson you’re sick?”

Mr. Jefferson. Victoria felt her legs immediately give out underneath her, collapsing to the floor again.

Well, at least she would have if Max hadn’t caught her in time. For a split second Victoria could have sworn Max moved to catch her before she started falling but that… that doesn’t make sense.

“Alright, you definitely need to go lay down,” Max grunted she she managed to shift one of Victoria’s arms over her shoulder as she hauled the limp girl to her feet again, “I’m actually gonna get the school nurse, okay?”

“Why are you helping me?” Victoria managed to croak out as her throat tightened, “After what Nathan did? After what I did?”

“We’re teenagers, Victoria. Making stupid mistakes is all we do. I don’t blame Nathan and I don’t blame you. Honestly? If I blame anyone, I blame Mr. Jefferson.”

Mr. Jefferson. Victoria’s leg gave out again, less, but enough to nearly pull Max to the ground. Once again she seemed… almost ready for it? Victoria didn’t know what to make of that but certainly was grateful Max had this sixth sense about not letting her fall.

“I should stop saying that name shouldn’t I…” Max mumbled to herself.

“Yeah, that’d be epic,” Victoria groaned.

By then they were at Victoria’s door. With difficulty, Max managed to get it open without dumping the owner of the room on the ground. Pulling her in and, god, even pulling back the sheets to help get Victoria comfortable.

Once she was lying back down, Victoria felt immediately physically better but looking up at Max still filled her with a painful cocktail of emotions, “You’re… Thanks, Max.”

“Wow, no mean comment,” Max couldn’t help but giggle a little, “You really don’t feel good, do you?”

“Shut up, oh my god,” a bit of classic Victoria sneaking out, “Maybe I’m… trying to be a better person. Like you.”

Surprisingly, a light blush jumped onto Max’s face at that. Rubbing the back of her neck, Max clearly wasn’t used to being so directly complimented, “I’m… I’m not perfect. I try to be a good person but I never really know if I make the right decisions.”

“Well, from my point of view, your decisions seem to be just fine,” Victoria replied as she snuggled down further into her bed, slightly concerned she might fall back asleep, “Doing better than me, at least…”

“You know Victoria, if you really feel bad about the Kate thing you could always go visit her? She didn’t put any restrictions on visitors, a lot of people from Blackwell have gone. Maybe you’ll feel better if you go apologize in person.”

“Uh, I’m pretty sure I’m the absolute fucking last person Kate wants to see right now.”

“Kate’s all about that Christian forgiveness, I think it would help her too.”

Victoria didn’t look entirely certain about that but nodded, “Alright, maybe… maybe tomorrow. I really don’t feel so good.”

“I’ll go get the nurse, you stay here and try to get some sleep.”

Victoria scoffed at that for reasons Max didn’t understand.

\- - -

While the nurse had certainly been concerned about Victoria she eventually couldn’t find anything wrong, just telling her to spend the day in bed and try to get some rest.

But if anything, being confined to her bed was only making Victoria feel worse. The fear of falling back asleep was constant as she tried to stay awake by all means possible. Looking at dumb shit on the internet, watching movies, listening to podcasts, anything.

However, sleep kept slinking in. Short bursts of intense nightmares, lasting an hour at most, before she’d wake up again. Always in a cold sweat.

By the time it had rolled around to the next morning, or rather, the next afternoon, Victoria didn’t feel any better.

Exhausted but seeing no other option she got herself ready. Foregoing both a shower and make up to pull on some slightly crumpled clothes. Catching her reflection again, she looked like hell but for what she was going to do today? Who cares.

Everybody at Blackwell knew she was really sick so the teachers didn’t question her absence as she managed to make it off campus without being seen.

God, she knew she shouldn’t be driving but she did it anyways. Mercifully, making it out of Arcadia Bay and to the next town over, to the hospital without an accident. Although when she shambled into the hospital gift shop the cashier gasped, “Miss? Are you trying to find the emergency entrance?”

Shaking her head slowly, Victoria stared dumbly at the stuffed animals, “No… no… visiting a friend… just… haven’t slept.”

“I really think I should get you to a doctor, you look like you’re about to fall over,” the woman said, approaching Victoria with careful steps. A cold glare sent her skittering back to her place as Victoria roughly grabbed a stuffed rabbit. Somebunny loves you. Perfect.

Slamming it on the counter, Victoria paid for it, then wandered back out with it. Leaving the gift shop and the cashier who was debating on if she should call security or not.

No security was called, however. Several people questioned Victoria as she asked where Kate Marsh’s room was and made her way up but no one stopped her. Eventually, she was standing outside of the door. Uncomfortable before finally knocking and walking in.

Victoria wasn’t entirely sure if Kate was more surprised about the fact she’d come to visit or the fact she looked like coyotes had attacked her on the way up. Either way, Kate’s mouth hung open and her blue eyes were wide with shock, “Victoria?”

Shockingly, Kate actually looked to be in better condition than Victoria right now. Even though her eyes were still red and tired and her long brown hair was a bit tangled as it hung around her shoulders. It was nothing to Victoria’s manic pixie nightmare cut that was sticking up at all angles, matted on one side or her misbuttoned sweater or her cold, dead looking eyes.

“What… what happened to you?” Kate stumbled out, immediately evident she was more shocked by Victoria’s physical appearance than her being here.

“I haven’t… slept for five days…” Victoria replied, arms limp at her sides.

Kate just nodded, still looking too surprised to really say much, “Are you… are you okay?”

Something about the girl she bullied into attempting suicide asking Victoria if SHE was okay brought her out of her stupor. Lifting her arms in surprise, Kate jumped as Victoria collapsed again. Crashing onto the bottom half of the bed, holding onto the sheets with one hand to not land on the floor. Openly sobbing into the sterile bed, Victoria shook her head, “I’m… I’m… I’m… s-so sorry, Kate!”

All Kate could do was watch as Victoria’s grip failed and she slid to the hospital room floor. Baffled and shocked beyond belief, Kate pushed herself up, “V-Victoria, it’s okay. Max saved me and I heard you took down the vi-”

“Of course I took down the video! But I never should have put it up! And I-I took too LONG to take it down!”

Looking down at Victoria face down on the ground, Kate tried to console her, “What’s… what’s done is done. I know you were very distracted by what happened with Nathan. We can’t change the past so let’s just… let’s just keep moving forward okay?”

“How can we?” Victoria gasped, pushing herself up on all fours, still crying to the ground, “I relive the past and more every night. It’s like I’m living in a nightmare! And I made it! I made the nightmare! It’s my punishment but I can’t- I can’t take it! I deserve it but I can’t take it!”

“Victoria, come up here please,” Kate said, patting the edge of her bed.

Complying, Victoria pushed herself up and sat down where instructed even as tears still streamed down her face, “I’m so sorry…”

Reaching out, Kate grabbed one of her hands, “If you really want to make things right, for me, for everyone… let’s be friends.”

Victoria looked skeptical that Kate could forgive her so easily but despite that she shakily held up the stuffed rabbit she’d bought in the gift shop, “I-I got this for you...”

Accepting the gift, Kate smiled warmly and squeezed Victoria’s hand tighter as she hugged it against her chest, “Thank you. See? You’re already being nicer, you remembered my favorite animal and everything. People can change and I can already tell you’re going to change for the better.”

Even as a sob racked her body, Victoria smiled, “T-thanks, Kate.”

Kate reaching her arms out wide confused Victoria until she realized what was going on.

A hug. Kate was offering her a hug.

Crawling over carefully, Victoria tried not to collapse in on Kate as she tightly squeezed her. A small, weak hand patting her back, “Things are going to be okay from now on.”

A sudden, blaring alarm from the TV made Victoria jump. Landing next to Kate just in time to watch the corny soap opera Kate was watching flicker off as an emergency news report came in. A lady reporter sitting there, papers in hand. 

The woman looked distressed, “Breaking news, a sudden and powerful hurricane has ripped through the small local town of Arcadia Bay. Survivors and people near the bay area are being told to evacuate the area. Head inland and try to find rescue workers. Due to the sudden nature of this event we don’t have a body count yet, stay tuned for more information.”

Clinging to each other, Kate and Victoria stared dumbstruck at the screen as it started to show overhead views of the demolished town. Everything from the diner to Blackwell had been ripped to absolute shreds.  
For a long, quiet moment the two girls sat there holding each other in shock.

Suddenly Victoria burst violently into tears again, burying her face into the crook of Kate’s neck.

This time, Kate had nothing to say to comfort her. Only tears racing down her own heartbroken face, dropping into the mess of blonde hair crushed below her.


	2. Too Real, Too Fast

The hospital staff didn't have the heart to remove Victoria from Kate's room.

An exception, a very rare exception, was permitted due to the weird circumstances. The two girls’ curled together on the bed, their town, their home, destroyed.

Victoria had called her parents, letting them knew that by sheer miracle their daughter was still alive. The two of them breaking into tears hearing their daughter was safe and sound when they assumed all hope had been lost. Telling them she was just going to stay with a friend, no need to worry.

Holding onto each other, Victoria and Kate stressfully watched more information about the freak storm roll in. A list posted online for the benefit of Blackwell. Watching names roll in. Stella. Juliet. Dana. Courtney. Taylor.

Victoria wasn't a praying woman but Kate had grabbed her hands and insisted. It didn't work. The psych ward where Nathan was staying wasn't far enough outside Arcadia Bay. He died in the storm too.

The headline, “Famous, Newly Imprisoned Photographer Mark Jefferson Killed In Freak Hurricane.” That one was nearly comforting to Victoria.

After twenty-four hours only one person is still accounted for.

Maxine Caulfield.

No body, no trace.

“I know it’s morbid but… I wish they’d at least find Max’s body…” Kate whispered, quietly, in the dead of the second night, “Something to send home to her parents…”

“She could still be alive,” Victoria countered, a little too defensively, “She could just, like, be flung out into the woods and lost. They’re still combing them, they could find her.”

“That’s… very optimistic, Victoria.”

“Look, I just… I feel it in my gut. I know it sounds crazy but I think Max is alive, somehow.”

Patting her arm, Kate tried her hardest not to sound condescending, “I hope she’s alive too. But I always thought you and Max didn’t get along? Did something change since I’ve been in here?”

Seeing Kate looking up at her so earnestly caused a wide, long crack to form in Victoria’s already weakened armor. Her voice weak and strained, “If I tell you something can you keep it a secret? And not think I’m a crazy ass bitch?”

Taken aback, Kate nodded nonetheless, “Sure, Victoria. You can tell me anything.”

“I’ve been… having dreams. Since Chloe Price died. Weird dreams. Dreams… dreams involving you. Dreams involving me. Dreams… dreams involving Max.”

She seemed reluctant to continue until Kate rubbed her arm, “Yeah?”

“There were so many different dreams but… but the night before the storm I dreamed… I dreamed about Mr. Jefferson killing me. Max was there. She wanted to help but she couldn’t, he’d captured her too.”

“That’s awful,” Kate replied, nuzzling into her arm, “Mr. Jefferson is dead now. You’re safe. It’s just a dream.”

“Okay, but, like, alright here's the part where you’re not allowed to think I’m crazy,” Victoria shook her head, “I don’t think they were just dreams. I know that’s ridiculous but they were too real, too vivid. I don’t… I don’t know what they were. Premonitions? Glimpses into another life? Things that should have happened? But they were too real to just be dreams.”

Kate didn’t know what to say to that but was determined to make Victoria feel better, “Do you think these dreams are trying to tell you something? Are there any of these dreams that aren’t nightmares?”

For a long while the two gazed at each other. Kate watching Victoria turn over thought in her mind like a detective examining newly found evidence.

“I know it’s off the wall but I feel like… somehow these dreams are connecting me to Max. There have been ones that weren’t nightmares. Me and Max… me and Max were friends in them. I think… I don’t know if this is right but I think I have to go and try to find her.”

Kate looked uncertain but grabbed Victoria’s hands, “Tomorrow I think you should head into Arcadia Bay and try to find Max yourself. I don’t think you’re the religious type but I feel like… I feel like this is a sign from God.”

Nodding, despite Kate’s correctness about Victoria’s lack of religious faith she thought the girl was right, “Yeah… yeah… I heard they were asking for search volunteers anyways. I’ll do it.”

Victoria flinched as a small hand suddenly ran itself through her short hair as Kate looked into her eyes, “If anyone can find Max, it’s you.”

\- - -

Neither Kate nor Victoria slept soundly that night, knowing the journey she had before her.

As she packed up to leave, Kate got up and hugged her tight. Making her promise to keep in touch, text her if she finds anything at all.

Victoria nodded, pressing her face into Kate’s neck again as she mumbled another quickly accepted apology.

Driving into the ruins of Arcadia Bay armed only with an overturned backpack was stomach churning and the closer Victoria got to Blackwell the sicker she felt. But as the ruins of her school were around her she felt oddly light, in a sickening way. Like she was standing in the eye of the storm.

Stepping around splintered wood and shattered glass Victoria started poking through the picked-over rubble. It seems the search party had long since stopped looking at the school although Victoria could see them in the distance. Specks in the distance, walking through the town.

Contents of every dorm room was mixed together haphazardly. Picking through it, Victoria found a bunch of personal items. Photos of dead people.

Rifling through them she felt a pang in her heart as she finds the tatters of a familiar scrapbook. Nathan had acted like he wanted nothing to do with it when she’d proposed the idea but by the end, he'd been enthusiastically doodling in the margins while they picked out photos. Opening it, it was largely intact despite the storm. Pictures of a better time, the two of them smiling together over the years. Victoria frantically rubbing her eyes to prevent crying on it and further damaging it.

Tucking it safely into her bag, Victoria started searching again.

While she wasn't finding anything useful, Victoria sure was filling up her spacious backpack. Trinkets of her own and her now dead friends. A few things of Max's, just in case she's still alive. Every memento she picked up was painful.

God, she wished she'd just find something, anything, that was helpfully connected to Max.

Looking at a nearby ravaged tree, Victoria noted a large piece of paper speared onto it

Victoria didn't expect it to amount to anything but as she freed it she recognized the handwriting. 

Max's.

Her heart beat fast as she realized it was a map. Three places marked.

\- - -

The first location didn't seem all that promising. The junkyard.

For a second, Victoria couldn't place why it was so familiar. But then it hit her as the remains of police tape fluttered into view. 

This was where Jefferson had buried Rachel’s body.

Why the hell did Max have a map with this marked?

Looking around, Victoria found nothing but some graffiti reading “Chloe was here" and “Rachel was here.” Was Max trying to find out something about Rachel's death? Chloe's death?

As she left she noted some odd, deep tire tracks in the mud. Although she supposed that wasn't too strange.

\- - -

The second location wasn't familiar but as Victoria pulled up to the abandoned barn she immediately felt like she was going to throw up.

For a second she thought she was just carsick but as she comes out of the driver's seat the fresh air did nothing. Everything felt… enhanced. Too much. Even the melodic chirping of birds was putting Victoria on edge.

Unease followed her as she creaked open the door and peered inside.

It seemed like your standard, everyday barn. Why the hell would Max have this place marked on a map?

As she wandered around, it didn't take long for Victoria to find the trapdoor down to the hallway leading towards an oddly modern door. Cracked open slightly. Surprisingly, there seemed to be light inside. Fear overtook Victoria as she suddenly wondered if this place truly was abandoned.

But then, a revelation. It could be Max.

Pushing the door open Victoria walked inside. Uncomfortable with the realization that there was no sound down here. Not even her own footsteps. Calling out to no reply, “Hey, uh, Max? Max?! You in here?!”

Walking further and further in, Victoria looked around. Part appeared to be a bunker, lots of survival supplies. Creep central.

But as it opened up into the final room Victoria’s stomach dropped into the ground.

Police tape covered everything. Victoria wondered why the hell this place hadn't been cordoned off? Why was no one here? What the hell happened here?

Clearly things had been removed but something… something sinister had happened here.

It almost… it almost looked like a photography studio.

Stepping around the couch, Victoria walked towards the area in front of it. Towards the blank backdrop.

Blinding white sent Victoria to the floor.

HE'S COMING. He's here. Jefferson. Jefferson. Going to kill her, going to kill Max. Strapped to the chair. But she'll be first. This is where it ends. HE'S COMING.

With a gasp, Victoria came to again.

Pushing herself up, she knew where she was.

The Dark Room. Jefferson’s Dark Room.

Panting, she looked around. Every detail of her nightmare had been true. No, no, it hadn't been a nightmare. It really, truly hadn't been a nightmare.

This place is real and Victoria Chase has been here before.

\- - -

Victoria’s hands were still shaking as she approached the final place Max had marked on the map.

The Dark Room hadn't given Victoria any clues on Max's whereabouts but it had certainly given her more questions. That place… that place was tied to Rachel's death too. Why was Max marking down places like that? Was the lighthouse also connected somehow?

But as she pulled up to the remains of the lighthouse, high on the hill, Victoria found no more answers.

Searching high and low, only stopping to text Kate that she hasn't found Max, Victoria grew more and more frustrated. Reaching a fever pitch as the sun started hanging lower and lower in the sky.

It was a good thing that all of Arcadia Bay was abandoned considering the screaming hissy fit Victoria threw could have been heard from shore.

Kicking a rock for good measure Victoria collapsed onto the still intact bench as increasingly orange light bathed over her as the sun started to set.

Tears stung her eyes. What was she supposed to do now? Go back to the hospital? They'd already made a huge exception to let her stay overnight. There's no way they'll let her do that again.

She could drive to her parents’ but that was really far out of the way and honestly, she didn’t want to see anyone in the state she was in. Unless that person was Max.

A sudden twig snapping to the side caught her attention.

Jerking her head up, Victoria found herself gazing into the dark, piercing eyes of a deer. Staring right into her soul. Knowingly.

Even Victoria herself don't know what it was that compelled her to get up and start chasing after it.

Nearly twisting her ankle half a dozen times, Victoria flew after the deer. Never questioning why she was able to keep up with it pure why it kept stopping and looking back at her. Her shoes catching in thick, deep tire tracks as the deer led her down the muddy road. Through the forest.

Eventually the trees opened up and the deer truly took off. Leaving Victoria standing alone in front of a run down motel by the water's edge.

Was… was Max here? Victoria felt unsure as she approached the office but honestly, what the hell else was she going to do? Already gone this crazy, might as well see if the magic deer knew more than she did.

Walking in, the cashier looked downright terrified at the ratty, haggard girl quickly approaching her. Blonde hair a veritable lion’s mane of tangles, mud covering her clothes, thin scratches from running through the forest dragging slight red lines around the woman’s arms.

“Is there a Max Caulfield here?” Victoria said, trying and failing not to look like an escaped serial killer as she nearly collapsed on the desk.

The very tiny black-haired woman behind the desk looked like she was frantically trying to find a weapon to protect herself as she stealthily grabbed an umbrella behind her, “M-Ma’am, we're not allowed in any circumstances other than the police to disclose-”

“Do I look like I give a shit?! Do you even know who I am?!” Victoria yelled, on the cusp of another mental breakdown, “I’m-”

“Victoria?” a quiet voice asked.

Turning around Victoria found herself face to face with the very person she’d be searching for.

Maxine Caulfield.


	3. If You Could Do It Again...

“Max?” Victoria gasped out, eyes wide as saucers as she took Max in.

While Max looked extremely tired, heavy bags under her bloodshot eyes, she was completely unharmed.

She jumped as Victoria all but lunged at her, pulling her into a headlock of a hug, “You’re alive! I knew it!!”

“Victoria…” Max repeated, awkwardly patting the crumpled sweater, “What’re… what’re you doing here? And you’re alive too? What about the storm? I thought everyone died?”

Not letting go, Victoria shook her head as tears started to stream down her face, “Kate. I went to visit Kate like you said.”

“Kate… Kate’s okay too?” Max asked.

“Yeah, I stayed with her overnight in the hospital. Didn’t you read the list they had up for Blackwell students?” Victoria pulled back but still held onto Max’s arms as she continued to lightly cry.

“No, I… I couldn’t handle it. I didn’t want to know. That’s… that’s why I came here.”

“That’s why you came here?” Victoria asked, pointing back towards the Arcadia Bay area, “But… the storm… how’d you know?”

Max paled at that, immediately remembering they weren’t alone as the curious cashier peering at them. Looking back at Victoria, who looked like death itself, she started pulling her towards her room, “Come on, we’ll talk more in a second but come take a shower in my room. You look like hell, it might make you feel better.”

Looking down at herself and her dirty clothes and knowing that her makeup must be running.

Victoria didn’t protest.

\- - -

While Victoria showered, Max started to panic. This was… this was awkward.

What was she supposed to say? Oh hey, Victoria, I have time powers and the reason I wasn’t in the storm is I saw it coming. So like, I’m a little psychic too. I guess.

Oh yeah and by the way? I’m also the reason Chloe is dead and Nathan is holed up in a psych ward. Maybe. Who knows! I let her die! I let Chloe die and it didn’t even mean anything because it didn’t stop the storm!

Trembling, Max dug into the large bag she’d packed for herself. John Doe shirt, a blue plaid button up, and some jeans that had always been too long on her. That should work for Victoria. Opening the door, Max placed it on the sink with a “I’m putting some clothes in here for you.”

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Max could only wait and try to come up with excuses.

Fiddling with the tri bullet necklace on her neck Max heard Victoria finish her shower and get dressed.

She still had nothing as Victoria walked out, texting, “I’m just telling Kate you’re alive. And, you know, that I’m alive.”

“That’s fine, I’m not… hiding or anything. I just didn’t realize anyone was looking for me.”

It was very jarring to see someone in her clothes, especially not someone who had in another life been something akin to an enemy.

“Alright Max, why did you come out here?” Victoria came in hard and fast. Something about being clean rejuvenating her immediately.

Max didn’t have a good answer, “It’s… it’s a really long story.”

“Well, uh, our school got ripped apart in a hurricane so I have nothing but time.”

Time to spread your bullshit wings and fly, Caulfield.

“I was just… feeling really upset about the whole situation with Kate. I was going to drive down to my parents for the weekend to try and get some time with my family. I… I barely even made it out of town before the storm hit, I could see it in the distance ripping everything up. The radio reporting it hitting. I pulled off the road and I was just… here.”

Max gestured to the badly decorated room with defeat.

But Victoria bought it.

She was pulled into another hug, this time against her own familiar shirt, “Oh my god, Max. you survived on sheer chance. Just like me.”

“Y-yeah, I’m lucky I guess. But I just… I feel horrible about it. I should have been in the storm.”

“No, no, no,” Victoria shook her head, “This is fate. Max, I have to tell you about something. Well, more like ask you about something? Fuck, I don’t even know anymore.”

Max didn’t know what to say so she just nodded.

“Look, first I need you to promise you won’t think I’m crazy.”

“I’ve… I’ve seen some shit recently. I think whatever you tell me won’t even phase me at this point.”

Despite that assertion, Victoria still bit her lip nervously before continuing, “I’ve been having weird dreams, Max. Dreams about you. But the thing is, Max? I don’t think they were dreams. You know that map you had in your room?”

Her eyes widened, “How did you find the map?”

“I went to Blackwell’s ruins to find out hints about where you might be if you were alive. I just… had a feeling you were still kicking. Somewhere, somehow. The map was caught in, like, a tree.”

“Did you… did you follow the map?” Max asked.

“Max, that place. Jefferson’s Dark Room. I’ve been there before. With you.”

“What’re… what’re you talking about?”

“I don’t know how but we’ve been there. Jefferson… Jefferson killed me. It wasn't a dream. It was too real. The second I walked into the Dark Room I knew it. I recognized everything there, Max. We were there.”

Max blanched. That was… that wasn’t this timeline. How did Victoria know about it?

But the look she was giving her was… so earnest.

It was true.

Victoria remembers something that didn’t happen.

Not in this timeline, at least.

“We… we have a lot to talk about,” Max gasped out, “There’s a diner nearby. I’ll… I’ll tell you everything there. Everything.”

Victoria looked oddly relieved. Max didn’t think she was crazy and had something to tell her. Maybe she wasn’t off her rocker. Maybe Max knew something. Either way, she eagerly followed after Max as they left the motel.

\- - -

“You’re… you’re a time traveller?” Victoria’s jaw hung open wide, the waffles sitting untouched on the table in front of her. Holding onto the utensils with her manicured hands.

Max sighed, pushing the cut up french toast around her plate, “Look, I didn’t think you were crazy when you told me about us being in the Dark Room so it’s your turn to trust me about this.”

“It’s… it’s a pretty fucking wild claim,” Victoria stared down at her food.

“I know, Chloe thought I was crazy when I told her about it too.”

“Chloe? Were you talking to her before she died?”

“That part’s complicated, I was talking to her in another timeline.”

One look at Victoria told Max everything she needed to know. She didn’t believe her. And Max absolutely couldn’t blame her because she’d absolutely think she’s crazy too.

“Look, I proved it to Chloe and I can prove it to you. Tell me a secret.”

“A secret? Why do you need my secrets?” Victoria narrowed her eyes.

“Look, not something juicy or anything. I just need you to tell me something I couldn’t possibly know beforehand. Anything. It would even be, like, what you ate for dinner last night.”

Victoria leaned back in her seat and thought before looking back down at Max, “I’m wearing black underwear with blue bows.”

“Alright, that’s perfect,” Max nodded, pointing down under the table, “Look under your butt.”

Confused, Victoria stood up enough to pull a napkin out from underneath her that most certainly hadn’t been there when she sat down. Unfolding it she found written on it in Max’s hand ‘black underwear with blue bows.’

“How did you-”

“Things I do stay. I had you stand, put it under you, rewound time.”

“This is… it can’t be,” Victoria shook her head, “I just can’t believe… was it in the pocket? Is that how you did it?”

“Hey, look in your other hand which was empty two seconds ago,” Max said, tapping said hand.

Curling it open, Victoria found a gum wrapper. Opening it, the words ‘three pudding cups and a red jello’ were on it.

“My… that’s my…” Victoria stumbled over her own words.

“That’s your dinner from last night. Did it again but went further back so you haven’t even said it to me yet. By the way, you told me Kate had a Caesar Salad and it reminded her of Alice and she cried.”

“It’s… it’s real…” Victoria collapsed back into her seat, sliding down.

“It’s real, Victoria,” Max nodded, “My time travel is real and your nightmares? Your nightmares were real. They happened. In another timeline.”

“What… happened in that timeline, Max? I need to know.”

“In that timeline, I stopped Nathan from shooting Chloe. However, because Nathan wasn’t questioned no one knew about Mr. Jefferson. Including myself. Me and Chloe were trying to find out more about Rachel’s disappearance. That’s how WE found about Jefferson. But… but we found out too late.”

Max paused, slowly sticking a piece of French Toast into her mouth. Running a hand through her hair, she felt her eyes sting harshly.

A hand on hers brought her back, looking up at a sympathetic Victoria who asked,“What… what happened then?”

“He shot Chloe in the head and took me captive. Earlier, during the Vortex Club party, I’d… I’d tried to warn you. But I thought the threat was Nathan, I told you to stay away from him. But it was Jefferson. It was Jefferson all along. You went to him for help with the Nathan situation but he… he took you too.”

“I… I know this next part,” Victoria nodded, “I was… on the ground and you were taped to a chair. He took her first. Took his… his photos of me before killing me.”

“Yes. Jefferson killed you. In that timeline.”

“But how did you know about the hurricane? Did you just see it in that timeline? How did you live?” Victoria asked, leaning forwards over the table. Chest almost in the ignored waffles.

“I saw it, in a dream. Just like your dreams.“

“Why didn’t you try to get people out of Arcadia Bay?”

“I did, in one timeline, but no one believed me. Can you blame them?”

“Wait, how did you undo it all? Several times? Earlier you said you could only go a few minutes back?”

“There is one way I can go back further. Through my photos. I’ve been using a picture I took of a butterfly in the bathroom from seconds before Nathan shot Chloe.”

“Well, go back!” Victoria waved at her, “Just keep going back until everything’s fixed right? I could, like, change where the Vortex Party is. Have it out of town. Won’t save everyone but it’ll save a hell of a lot more pe-”

“The photo is gone.”

“What?” Victoria gaped, “Why?!”

“I thought… I thought the reason the hurricane hit was Chloe surviving in all those timelines. I tore up the photo after going back so I wouldn’t be tempted to go back again just to save one person. But… but the hurricane came anyways and now Chloe is dead and EVERYONE is dead!”

Max’s voice rose and rose in pitch as sobs started to bubble up out of her. There was a loud clattering as Max shoved her late dinner one off to the side, loud enough to send the curious eyes of the few patrons of their way.

Victoria hesitated before sliding out of the booth, tugging at Max’s arm, “Max, let’s… let’s get you back to the motel. It’s getting late and we should both get some sleep.”

With no resistance, Max let Victoria pull her to her feet as she still cried. Pausing only to pay the nice lady behind the counter before all but carrying her back to the motel. Already halfway asleep as Victoria gently laid her on the crumpled bed.

\- - -

Climbing in next to her, Victoria had fallen asleep immediately too. Brain out all but a second after closing her eyes.

Tonight Victoria’s dreams weren’t nightmares though.

Instead, her dreams sought to help her.

Waking up, Victoria jolted awake in the bed. Panting as she looked around, briefly freaked out by her too-dark surroundings. Eventually her eyes settled on the slumbering Max next to her before grabbing her shoulder and shaking Max awake.

“Max! Max!! Get up!!”

“Hrggrh?”

“I have a solution, wake your Back To The Future ass up!”

Rubbing her eyes and reaching for the lamp, Max pulled the scratchy motel sheets around her, “Victoria? What time is it?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care. Max, what if I told you you might have a chance to go back to right before Nathan shot Chloe and stop it?”

“I told you, I tore up the butterfly pho-”

“Have you ever tried to go through someone else’s photos though?”

Max woke up more at that, shaking her head, “I… didn’t have any to use.”

“What if I told you that right before Nathan shot Chloe, I took a picture in the classroom?”

Narrowing her eyes, “But Mr. Jefferson had just yelled at ME for doing that.”

“Where do you think I got the idea?” Victoria tapped her temple, “I just did it way stealthier. Turned out pretty alright, everything considered. We just have to get to my car, I left my camera and my bag locked inside.”

“Where… actually, like how DID you get here?” Max suddenly was hit with the fact there were no other cars in the parking lot.

“Alright since we’re already in the crazy boat together, I followed a deer here. Chased it, really. Living up to my last name and shit,” Victoria admitted.

“You know what, I’ve seen the same deer so like… you’re not crazy. Shit’s just weird.”

The two looked at each other for a second before breaking into laughter.

Sliding off the bed and handing Victoria the clothes again, “Let’s get back to your car, right now. Drive it back here. Try your plan.”

Already shedding her borrowed nightshirt, Victoria was more than eager to try this plan.

\- - -

It didn’t take too long for them to run back through the moonlit forest, get Victoria’s car and drive all the way back to the motel. Through actual roads this time.

Digging in Victoria’s backpack, Max noted some things, “These things are…”

“It’s… it’s all salvage. From the school. I collected it to give to you and Kate if, well, I managed to find you. Kate was getting her things either way.”

“That’s very thoughtful, Victoria,” Max said, hopping out the second the car came to a stop.

“Thanks, I’m working on it,” Victoria chirped as the two ran back into the room.

“Alright, which one of these photos was from that day?” Max said, turning on the high class digital camera in her hands.

Taking it from her, Victoria clicked around until she landed on it, “This one! The one with the really low angle that, you know, only I could pull off.”

Rolling her eyes, Max took the camera from her and looked at it. Focusing hard, just like she had with her own photos in the past. But despite her sternest look, nothing happened beyond a little temporal shifting which shook Max’s brain a little.

Closing her eyes sharply with a noise of pain, Max shook her head, “I got… I got a little wiggly but nothing took.”

“Maybe because it’s my photo I should hang onto the camera too?” Victoria suggested, “It might need a connection?”

“Good idea,” Max said, reaching out her hand, “One hand on me, one hand on your camera?”

Nodding, Victoria gripped the other side of the camera as she hooked her hand into Max’s, “Alright, I’m ready.”

“There’s some things we need to make sure happen though, Victoria. We need to save Chloe, Nathan, AND Kate. Rachel’s body needs to be found. Mr. Jefferson has to be stopped.”

“Got it,” Victoria nodded, “I have a killer memory. We’re not missing a single thing, Max. We’re saving all of them.”

“Okay, hold on tight then,” Max gripped tighter as she screwed up her face in concentration, “I don’t… I don’t know if this will work but… brace yourself.”

Victoria closed her eyes with her as an odd energy shook the two of them, nearly knocking the camera out of their hands as it shook, wildly flickered through all the other photos on it. Her eyes sprung open again in time to watch hundreds of images flashing on the small screen in front of them.

A blinding light forced both of them to close their eyes again.

\- - -

Her eyes began to grow accustomed to the light again as Victoria came to.

It was dizzying, the all the images from her digital camera whirling wildly around her. Some fast, some slow. She herself floating in the void like a gum wrapper in the eye of a storm. Drifting down and up simultaneously as she vacantly watched her snapshots circle her in the void.

Gasping, Victoria looked around only to find no land. Just this… this vortex of images. Her, suspended in it.

Alone. No Max.

Just Victoria and her memories.


	4. Backwards and Backwards

Victoria’s own heavy breathing was the only sound she could hear in this swirling vacuum.

Unsure about anything, Victoria attempted to move. Will herself in some direction. Mercifully, whatever she’s in, she has some semblance of control. Able to make herself slowly drift around by her own volition.

However, as she avoided the flying images, Victoria found herself largely trapped as they swirl around her.

Where was Max? Why was she alone here? Was it… was it because they were her photos, not Max’s? What was she supposed to do here? Was she stuck here forever? A purgatory of her own making?

Watching the images whip around her, Victoria sees only one logical solution she can even try.

Reaching out, her hand brushed a photo as it whipped by her and once again a blinding white light enveloped her.

\- - -

With a gasp, cold fall air rushed into Victoria’s lungs.

Her camera was gripped tightly in her hands, having just snapped a picture of herself outside of the Vortex “End Of The World” party.

Victoria was panting as she clung tightly to the expensive camera, looking around wildly. She knew exactly where she was and what she’d been doing. Memories she shouldn’t have rushing into her mind, filling in the blanks.

Max had just warned her about Nathan and Victoria was going to find Mr. Jefferson to “get help.”

But now? Victoria knew Mr. Jefferson was a murderer.

What should she do now? With this information? Cursing herself, she didn’t think she could find the Dark Room’s barn by herself with no map marking it down. She should have made a better mental note of its location other than “those woods over there.”

Furthermore, even if she DOES do something is she… is she just stuck here? Will she go back to the picture vortex at some point? Will the Max here have to send her there?

Alright, Victoria, no point musing on all this. What are the facts? You need to stop Jefferson. Jefferson will already have Max. You don’t know where the Dark Room is. How can you tell where it is? How can you get the police there? How can you stop Jefferson from killing Max?

A panicked, stupid plan popped into Victoria’s head.

Spotting Jefferson exiting the school, Victoria remembered everything perfectly and knew what she had to do.

Pulling out her phone, covering the light from sight as she pressed herself against a tree, Victoria dialed 911. Tucking her phone into her bra she took a deep, deep breath and approached Mr. Jefferson.

It was difficult to will her legs to cooperate, every step a war against herself. Time to stretch those acting muscles, Victoria. Gotta win a Golden Globe for this. Reaching out, Victoria tugged on the unaware man's sleeve, “Mr. Jefferson? Can I talk to you about something?”

God she sounded like a scared child and as he turned to look at her she felt like one. Forcing herself to stay still as he smiled at her, “Victoria! Thought you'd be at the party.”

“Forgot my phone in the dorm,” she lied through her teeth, “I was just going to pick it up and head back but then I saw you. I just… wanted to talk to you about Nathan.”

Not cringing as she felt his hand on her upper back, she let him lead her towards an even darker corner of the courtyard, “I'm concerned too, why don't we find a place to talk in private?”

\- - -

Groaning, Victoria came to. Face pressed roughly against the frigid floor. A familiar situation which absolutely shouldn't feel familiar. Something that hadn't truly happened and yet had.

Flicking her eyes up, Victoria looked at the very distracted girl above her, “Max!”

The look Max gave her was heartbreaking in its pure unadulterated terror, “Victoria! Look, this is crazy but-”

“I already know where we are,” Victoria cut her off, making the other girl look confused on top of fearful, “Where's Mr. Jefferson?”

“He left to grab some things from his car,” Max gaped at her, “How do… how do you know what’s going on? You were out cold, I was calling to you for like ten minutes.”

“I'll explain later,” Victoria answered before shifting her weight. Feeling her phone press into her breast, she felt nothing but relief. With difficulty she managed to hit the power button, seeing that the call was still going. Connected, even through the thick ceiling of the bunker. Her heart beat fast, “Quick, say as much as you can about the location!”

Max was frazzled but complied, “We're... in the old Prescott barn. When Oak Road ends, it’s like… fifty feet in. You can see it from the road. There’s a bunker underneath it.”

Leaning her head into her chest Victoria relayed it, “Mark Jefferson is keeping us in a bunker under the old Prescott barn. Follow Oak Road until it ends, fifty feet from the edge! It should be visible from the road. Please, get here as fast as you can!”

“Victoria, what’s going on?” Max asked, surprised to be the confused on in this situation.

“I have 911 on my phone, it’s in my bra,” Victoria explained, so unbelievably glad it didn’t fall out or get detected. Lady Luck was kind to her.

“How did you know to call 911 before Jefferson grabbed you?” Max asked.

But before Victoria could answer they heard the door to the bunker open, Jefferson sauntering back in with a bag, “Sorry girls, forgot some of my equipment in the car. Where were we?”

“Fuck you,” was Max’s eloquent answer, nearly eliciting a smile out of Victoria. Fight the power, Max. Just not too much. We just have to hold out for a little bit longer. Help is coming.

Shaking his head, Victoria’s pulse went wild as she watched Jefferson prepare his camera before walking over to her. Crouching down, he examined her and for a terrified second she was afraid he’d suddenly, magically realize she has her phone. Rip it out of her bra. Realize what she’s done. Kill her, kill Max. Go on the run.

But he only took her fear at face value, smiling sinisterly as he ruffled her hair a little, “Perfect, Victoria. You’re going to make for a hell of a model. Every ounce of teenage rebellion drained from you, a husk of yourself. A contrast to die for.”

The cold lens of the camera was raised to her face, a sickening click breaking the near silence. Only other thing breaking it being the two girls’ ragged breath and the sounds of Jefferson positioning himself as he snapped picture after picture.

As time went on, Victoria’s confidence in her plan started to waver. What if her phone had actually lost connection? What if they couldn’t track it? Shit, did anyone even know where Oak Road ended? It was such a small sideroad. Did they know where the barn was anyways? Hell, the Prescotts themselves might not know! And even if they did, would they sell out Jefferson? Or were they working with him?

This was dumb, Victoria had done something dumb.

What would even happen if she died here?

Would she just be ejected out of her camera in the future, like losing a life in a game? Hell no, that would be stupid. If you die in the game you die for real, probably.

Flickering through her own memories of the other timeline, Victoria was suddenly hit by the all too real realization that Jefferson wasn’t going to be taking these photos forever. Click, click, click. Each one ticking away the seconds until the syringe was plunged into her neck.

No coming back from that. Death’s embrace is tight and if no one’s coming…

Sudden panic set in, tears starting to stream down Victoria’s face. She’d fucked herself and she’d fucked Max. Good job, Victoria. Max sent you back to save Chloe and now you’re going to be responsible for two additional deaths.

Or more. If Jefferson isn’t found out… it’s not like they’re going to be the last girls to be dragged into the Dark Room.

How many will die?

Click, click, click.

Silence.

Jefferson straighten up, looking through the photos on the little viewfinder on the camera. Smiling serenely, evidently very happy with his work on this shoot.

“Alright, that was a hell of a shoot,” Jefferson mused, more to himself than either girl around him, “These pictures near the end are perfect, Victoria. You really gave your all on them.”

Fear and panic bubbled out of her mouth with a cold whisper, “I hope you rot…”

“What was that? You kids these days… really need to speak up in class,” he laughed at his own joke before walking over and setting the camera carefully on the desk. Plugging it in, surely transferring the photos.

10%, 24%, 52%, 77%, 89%, 100%. Uploaded. Checked. Jefferson smiled again.

Victoria was practically hyperventilating at this point as she watched that needle come into view. A small bottle in Jefferson’s other hand as he approached her, “Now, I’m no doctor but you’re going to feel a slight pinch. Then nothing. Humane approach.”

Breaking her silence, Max shouted at him, “Mr. Jefferson, stop! You don’t need to do this, just let us go! Every one of us you take down is another charge-”

“Maxine, please, be sensible,” Jefferson waved her away, syringe in hand, “If they ever catch me, I’m going away for life. Number of victims doesn’t matter anymore.”

Crouching next to Victoria, he inserted the syringe into the bottle and started pulling out the liquid within.

A sudden, loud slamming noise startled him. Victoria flinched as the glass bottle was dropped, shattering less than a foot from her head. Poison splattering into her mussed hair as she shrieked.

“We’re in here, three people!! I don’t think he’s armed!!” Max screamed before Jefferson could leap up and clap a hand over her mouth.

It was too late for him though, Victoria beginning to cry in relief as she watched the men in uniform burst into the bunker. Guns upon guns, all pointed directly at Jefferson. His jaw hung open dumbly. Certainly unable to give any rational explanation for having not one but two of his students duct taped and crying in a bunker.

“Hands over your head and step away from the girls,” growled the cop near the front. Gun pointed right at Jefferson as he complied, slowly kneeling.

Max and Victoria watched as the man was very roughly handcuffed, being dragged away as a couple other policemen descended on them, pulling out pocket knives to begin to saw away the tape holding them in their prison.

\- - -

The precinct was abuzz with police, alternating between questioning and comforting the two girls.

Max was incredulous, the police took it as reasonable shock as she quietly and flatly answered their questions. Victoria hung off her arm, her answers slightly less shaken. She, at least, didn’t have the confusion that Max did. An unnatural clarity.

“Alright ladies, we’re gonna get you two something to eat,” the kindly old policeman gripped Max’s shoulder, “You two have been through a lot but your cooperation has been unbelievably helpful. This son of a bitch is going to jail for the rest of his life.”

“Good,” Victoria hissed, practically in Max’s ear as she clung to her, “Fuck that guy.”

The smallest smile graced his face before dropping immediately back to a somber frown as he squeezed Max’s shoulder again, “I’m real sorry about your friend. Found connections between Jefferson and that kid who shot her.”

Victoria pulled Max closer as her voice hitched, “Thanks… can’t, uh, can’t change the past. I’m just glad Jefferson can’t hurt anyone else and Nathan’s… Nathan’s getting the help he should have had earlier.”

Tiptoeing around for Victoria’s sake. She appreciated that, moving her arm to around Max’s shoulders to pull her closer.

“Alright, give me ten minutes. There’s a fast food joint nearby, burger and fries alright with you two?”

Both nodded, nearly in unison they gave a “Thanks.”

The old policeman left, door slamming behind them. As it did, Max immediately made eye contact with Victoria.

“How did you know? Why did you already have the police on your phone? What’s going on, Victoria?”

“Look, we’ve already had the you’re-not-allowed-to-think-I’m-crazy talk and I don’t want to have it again,” Victoria replied, shaking her head, “I’m here because of you. Future you. I already know everything, Max. Your powers, what happened with Jefferson. We tried to go back through my photos, you wanted to save Chloe, but… but you didn’t come with me. Future you. Augh, this is so hard to explain!”

Max grabbed the hand that Victoria was nervously combing through her hair, “Seriously? You’re… you’re a future Victoria?”

She nodded, “I was… I was supposed to go much further back. I guess… I touched the wrong photo? In the- look, this got too complicated. Shit, do I have to just like… start from here? We need to find my camera, I have to go back to the vortex-”

“Slow down, what vortex? Do you mean the hurricane?” Max asked, confused at being bamboozled by her own powers, “How did I send you back? But I… I decided not to save Chloe. To stop the hurricane.”

“We’ll… we’ll worry about that later,” Victoria shook her head, “We’re safe for now. I guess time is on our side. Just… just know that I came back to help you.”

Despite her confusion, Max nodded slowly, “T-thanks… Victoria. I don’t understand how I did this or I guess how you did this but… thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Victoria replied, honestly still pretty dazed herself.

But not out of it enough to not recognize the hug Max was tightly pulling her into. Her freckled face burying itself deeply into the crook of Victoria’s neck. Victoria put her arms around her, pulling her tighter still against her. Closing her eyes as she rested her cheek on Max’s soft brown hair.

A sudden weightlessness took her, making Victoria gasp and open her eyes wide.

She was back, back in the Vortex. Her many, many pictures swirling wildly around her again.

What the fuck was going on?


	5. White Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update came so late, I messed up my writing/posting schedule really bad. Could have sworn it had only been a week and a half.

Unless Victoria was going even crazier than she thought she was, it seemed the picture vortex was quicker this time. Just a smidge but noticeable nonetheless.

Unease wracked Victoria as she looked around. This was… this was wild. Absolute insanity. She was stuck, possibly forever, reliving her memories over and over again. Tossed in and out of them haphazardly.

Dodging one, Victoria nearly backed up into another. Fearing being ripped away again.

What if… what if she died in one of these flashbacks? What would happen? Was what she was doing permanent or did it mean nothing at all? Jesus, is this what life’s been like for Max? No one she looked so rough around the edges.

Distracted by that thought, Victoria’s elbow sunk into one of the photos whipping behind her.

Too late to pull it back, she found herself blinded by white again.

\- - -

Victoria jumped, nearly launching herself up and off the steps of the Blackwell dorm.

Next to her, Taylor’s eyes sprung open wider, “Victoria? What’s wrong?”

Looking around, Victoria didn’t answer immediately. Scanning the courtyard in front of them this day… this day felt familiar. She couldn’t place it though.

It was a nice day outside, no wonder she and her friends were sitting out here. The footballers played in the distance. Students studied on the grass, clustered in small groups. Samuel was working on something up on the building, cleaning the windows maybe?

“Victoria?” Courtney reached out and shook her gently, “Earth to Victoria? You in there?”

Shaking her head, Victoria’s mouth felt dry, “Y-yeah, sorry, just got like… the biggest head rush ever. I’m fine.”

“Do you feel okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Taylor asked before reaching her hand up to Victoria’s cold forehead.

Jerking away from her, Victoria shot her a look, “I’m fine. I said I’m fine. Listen, much?”

A pang bit at her chest as Taylor deflated, “Sorry, you just… didn’t look so hot. N-not that you don’t still look pretty! Just… I don’t want you getting sick.”

Damn it, Victoria, haven’t you learned a single thing about being nice by all this fucking bullshit?!

Her hand felt foreign to her as she reached up and put it on Taylor’s shoulder, “Don’t worry about it so much. Just bugged me out a little. I’m fine, really.”

Taylor looked surprised at that, looking at the hand like it was the talon of a bird of prey that was threatening to snatch her away. Nodding, she went quiet. Looking fearfully up at Victoria now and again.

Great, apparently this is how you’ve always been, Victoria. God, how had she never realized how… unlikable she is. To say the very least.

But before she could try to repair this situation at all though, something caught her eye.

Max Caulfield, wandering near the edges of the courtyard. It almost seemed like the girl was stealing glances at her. Nervous but almost excited.

Victoria knew this would truly make her look crazy but she pushed herself up to go and talk to Max. It’s not like she was going to know the whole Victoria-is-time-travelling situation but maybe she could help point towards the importance of today.

That very quickly became a moot point as Victoria is suddenly hit with what had happened today. Both literally and figuratively.

The loud clank behind her made her jump forward but not nearly far enough or fast enough to get away from the paint as it flew into the air and coated her front as she looked back. Punishing her for an insult she hadn’t even remembered, uttered just before the vortex flung her her.

Go fuck your selfie. Instant karma.

However, unlike the first time around, Victoria was a bit more addled.

Watching the white drip off of her expensive outfit, ruining it, and splattered uncomfortably across her face and hair rattled Victoria.

Abruptly, a sob overtook her. Shook her whole body and broke something loose.

Immediately, Victoria burst into tears. Loud, blubbery tears.

Through the blurry veil, she could see her friends bolt inside like they’d seen a banshee. Abandoning her entirely which only made her start crying harder. Alone in this timeline, alone in all timelines.

Like a dying star, she started collapsing in on herself until she was curled in a little ball on the pavement.

“Victoria!” a soft voice called out to her, the muffled sound of sneakers on grass jogging towards her. A hand on her back. Looking up and seeing a distressed Max reaching out to her. Grabbing her. Pulling her up. Holding onto her lightly as she started pulling her inside, “C’mon, let’s get you inside.”

Eye followed them, Max practically shielding her as she ushered her inside. In that moment, Victoria realized the intent of Max’s actions. Get her away from the prying eyes.

Gratitude. Nothing but gratitude.

Paint dripped on the floor like heavy raindrops as Max rushed her towards the bathroom, wanting to get her there before it dried.

The bathroom was empty until the two women tumbled in. Victoria shocked as Max started tugging the sweater up, “Quick! If we get it soaking in the water fast enough it might come up better.”

Victoria supposed she should feel weirder quickly stripping in front of Max but in no time she was down to her underwear and didn’t feel even a bit ashamed. Maybe it was simply the insanity of knowing that Max was a time traveller, maybe it was just how focused said time traveller was on trying to get the paint out.

It struck Victoria that Max could have just rewound what happened. Not now, probably, but at the time. Maybe she’d just been shocked by the sudden, violent crying. Victoria doubted Max or anyone could have expected her to burst into tears. Hell, she herself hadn’t expected that.

She didn’t feel at peace with her body, feeling like she was floating above the room and watching over it all. Herself, broken and confused. Practically naked with makeup streaming down her face and mixing with the white paint. Max, diligently trying to get paint out of the sweater with an intense focus glinting behind her eyes.

Looking beyond Max, Victoria saw something written on another sink’s mirror. Kate Marsh, Jesus loves sluts.

She did that. Not the message written on the mirror. But the torment. She started it.

Knowledge of the future was a heavy burden, the image of Kate standing on the rooftop sunken deep into her mind’s eye.

God, she really was a bad person, wasn’t she?

“Hold still,” was the only warning Max gave her before suddenly pressing the wet paper towel to her face, “You don’t want to get it into your eyes. You can replace a sweater, you can’t replace your eyes.”

“Thanks,” Victoria mumbled, letting Max clear her face of the offending pigment, “Augh, I haven’t been covered in paint since that required class last year. Digital photography any day.”

Mindless chit chat, not exactly the most helpful, but what else was Victoria supposed to say? Why was she even here? Was there a point?

The pile of crumpled paper grew in the empty sink, her clothes soaking in the other. While Max finished her sink, she set about her hair, “Victoria are… are you okay? I know you really like that outfit but not… not total breakdown attachment. Is something going on?”

Of course something was going on. Time travel bullshit, just like you, kinda because of you. Not that Victoria blamed her. Should she just drop that info again?

God, she can’t just keep recounting that over and over. She’ll lose her mind.

Instead she just shook her head, looking away, “It’s… I’m fine.”

Serendipity, Victoria had looked right at the lipstick message on the mirror.

Max nodded, “You… you feel bad about what you did to Kate, don’t you?”

That works, that absolutely works. It’s extremely true too. Victoria leaned into it, crossing her arms over her exposed stomach, “I just… I don’t… I don’t like who I am, Max. The past few days have been a real wake up call for me.”

Granted, it was mostly the memories of Kate’s suicide attempt, her time in the Dark Room, and chasing Max through a hurricane town Arcadia Bay but those were still kind of the past few days? In her mind, at least.

I mean, Victoria couldn’t even bring up any of those. Those were things that didn’t happen. Yet, at least.

Luckily Max didn’t probe her further though, rubbing her arm, “Well… it’s never too late to change, Victoria. You did something bad but… you can still try to turn things around. We’re only eighteen, we all have our entire lives ahead of us.”

“How, Max? I already took down the video-”

“Uhm, might… might wanna double check that.”

Pulling out her phone, Victoria aggressively fiddled with it for a second before realizing, duh, this was before she had deleted it. Quickly, she took it down again but also for the first time.

Another wave of stress overtook her and stung her eyes, starting the waterworks again. Just barely restraining the urge to fling her phone at the tile wall.

Sniffling, Victoria felt that truly this was her lowest moment. Time travelling, deleting an unbelievably cruel video for the second time, splattered in paint, standing there in her underwear. Not to mention, before everything else, devastatingly alone.

Maybe not quite as alone as she thinks, letting Max pull her down a bit to let Victoria nuzzle into her chest. Pink and grey fabric filling her vision, muffling the sobs. Max ignoring the fact that stroking Victoria’s hair was staining her hand with white paint, “Victoria… it’s… it’s alright, how about this? Let’s get you all cleaned up and changed then how about we go and find Kate and have you apologize? There’s plenty of graffiti about her around the school. Maybe afterwards the three of us can go around and scrub those off?”

Victoria nodded against her, “Y-yeah… let’s do that. Can you get some clothes from my room? It’s not locked or anything.”

Letting go, Max rubbed her shoulder, “You got it, Victoria. Try to get the paint out of your hair, I’ll be back in a second.”

Max disappeared quickly out of the doorway, her footsteps echoing after her as she jogged towards Victoria’s room. Said girl wasn’t alone for long though, barely managing to start wetting her hair before there was a surprised noise to her right.

Looking up, Victoria found a surprised Taylor staring at her.

Oh right, in her underwear in public. That’s her current state.

“What do you want?” Victoria asked, unable to stop herself from sound accusatory.

Taylor squeezed in and let the door close behind her, “I was just… trying to find you.”

“After you abandoned me in the courtyard?” Victoria grimaced, slopping out a portion of the paint from her hair and flicking it at the sink with a wet slap. She felt her anger was pretty justified in this case.

Taylor’s face twisted, a hand immediately reaching up to drag through her hair, “I’m sorry… I really shouldn’t have left you but I just feel like something’s… something’s happening with you. You’re… you’re not fine. Is this about Kate Marsh?”

Following Taylor’s pointing finger, Victoria looked at the red lipstick message on the mirror again. With sudden vigor, she grabbed another paper towel and wiped at it violently. Smearing crimson across it like stab wounds.

Angrily, she tossed it into the sink overflowing with crumpled balls of paper. She thought she was out of tears but another couple managed to slide out. However, this time Taylor didn’t run away. Victoria felt tense arms wrap around her, letting go a second afterwards. Stepping back again.

Her “best friend,” afraid to even be in contact with her for more than one second. Oh wait, still in her underwear and covered in paint. Nevermind, that checks out.

Looking up at her, Victoria delivered her edict, “Taylor, I’m making a change today. I don’t… I don’t want to be this person anymore, I don’t want to be a bully. A few minutes ago I took down Kate’s video. I’m… I’m going to make this right. I’m going to make everything right no matter what it takes.”

The smile on Taylor’s face was probably the most genuine she’d ever seen on her, “That’s really great, Victoria.”

Taylor jumped as the door opened again, Victoria slightly touched to see her try and cover her nearly naked body. But it was just Max again, holding another sweater and a skirt in her arms and looking a bit surprised.

Peeking around Taylor, she held up the bundle, “I brought your clothes.”

“Thanks, Max,” Victoria said, getting the last little bit of paint out of her hair and doing a double check before grabbing them and pulling them on, “Taylor, uh, you wanna help us with something?”

“Sure,” she nodded, despite looking confusedly at Max, “What is it?”

“Me and Victoria were going to do and try to get rid of some of the graffiti about Kate,” Max answered, pointing back towards the yard, “I think Samuel will let us take some cleaning supplies if we ask.”

Taylor looked towards her for approval which she got. Victoria nodded before pulling on her new outfit, patting it down and adjusting her necklace, “First, let’s go apologize to Kate.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Max beamed, putting a hand on Taylor’s back to start pushing her out of the bathroom. Extending the other to Victoria.

Reaching out, Victoria grabbed it.

The second their hands met, the blinding white light flooded her again and left her floating once more in the vortex of photos.


	6. Dance With Me Tonight

This time, Victoria is ready. Keeping her arms tucked tightly against her sides she looks around at the whirling pictures.

Despite the oddity of it all Victoria realizes that she’s… weirdly getting used to this despite the fact she wants nothing more than a way out. A terrible normality, a cycle to be freed from.

But what does it want? What is the point of all this? It there a way out of this place, if so, where’s the proverbial door? Maybe she’s supposed to fix everything and then it’ll let her out. But as things staying? Is her work being undone?

Is there just an apex moment she has to reach? A single second that will change everything? Something intended?

A picture slowly drifted in front of her. Victoria, flicking through her memories, knew this was from the afternoon before… before Chloe got shot. Maybe she just has to stop Chloe from getting shot.

Her fingers grazed its incorporeal form, embracing her with white as she went backwards once again.

\- - -

The feeling of Taylor’s hair against her cheek welcomed her to this snippet of her life. Her arm raised high above them, having just took a selfie of them together.

“Show me it!” Taylor chirped as she leaned away, eyes bright.

Almost robotically Victoria turned her camera around. Even in the viewfinder, both girls could see it was a damn nice picture.

“Oh, Vic, you gotta post that one,” Taylor insisted, “At least so I can put it on my page too.”

“Uh, sure,” Victoria dazed, already pulling up the app to get it up.

Her mind was very, very elsewhere though. She knew she was supposed to be helping Taylor and Courtney set up the End of The World party, timeline wise. But ‘whirling hell vortex with specific goal’ wise she knew she had to go and find Max.

Fortunately, she knew it was going to be more than easy enough to wiggle away, “I’ve gotta get some stuff ready outside of here, you guys okay with me flaking for a bit?”

“Whatever,” Courtney waved her away, “We already got most of the things set up.”

“I’ll be back,” Victoria promised, briskly walking out.

Once again, she found herself on the front courtyard of Blackwell which was feeling more and more alien to her each time she walked across it.

She wasn’t entirely sure where she was supposed to be walking but for some reason she felt herself being pulled towards the entrance. Eyes lighting up as they drifted up to recognize the nasty beat up pickup truck dropping someone off. The very someone she was looking for.

Victoria wandered a bit towards the fountain, the gaze never leaving Max as she stood up on her tiptoes to talk to Chloe through the window. Eventually, waving goodbye to her friend and turning towards the school.

Dropping like a sack of bricks, Victoria landed on the hard edge of the fountain just in time to look casual as Max started walking inside.

Victoria didn’t even have to reach out to her, Max was coming right to her.

“Hey Victoria, I thought you’d be busy setting up for the big party tonight,” Max inquired, stopping politely a couple feet away.

Stretch those acting legs, Victoria, “Oh, I’m just taking a little break is all. Had to… text Nathan real quick about something. He totally forgot some of our math assignments.”

Wait, shit, Nathan is doing something normal right now, right? There’s no fuckery with him having shot Chloe in this timeline, right? She’d just seen Chloe so-

“Yeah, don’t want Mr. Smith getting mad at him again. He should really start writing them down, don’t want his grades to tank. He’s smarter than that.”

Right, right, this is a glimpse back at the original timeline. The one from before Nathan shot Chloe. Things are fine. Things are fine. Victoria nodded, “I keep telling him but he’ll totes space out and be doodling in his notebook. They’re, like, great doodles but not the time for them.”

“I can relate, sometimes I get so focused on my camera that I lose track of anything other than the shot.”

Victoria knew that, somehow, she had to get Max to that party tonight. Without Chloe. Jefferson captures her. Jefferson captures Max. They’re in the Dark Room together. Everything happens as she fixed it.

But… are things sticking? Nervously, Victoria looks to where she knew some of the graffiti had been. It was gone. But was that enough proof?

A plan sprung into Victoria’s mind, fully formed.

Grabbing Max’s hand caused the girl to jump but Victoria’s determination held her in place, “Max, I’ve been thinking. I know this is totally random but will you come to the party with me tonight?”

Max stuttered, “Like… like a date?”

Going all in, Victoria nodded, “I know it’s sudden but…”

“I’d love to but…”

“But?”

“Well, I didn’t tell her this yet but I had something in mind for me and Chloe to do tonight. It’s pretty important.”

Of course, Victoria knew what that was and she knew they absolutely couldn’t, “C’mon, Max, you’ve been dragged around by Chloe enough this week. Maybe it’s time for a night to yourself. Well, kinda. I mean, I’ll be there.”

She could see the gears turning over and over in Max’s mind, Victoria knowing exactly why. Max was trying to decide if she had enough time before the hurricane was coming.

“I don’t really have anything to wear to be a party, if I’m really honest,” Max admitted, partially and excuse, partially a truth.

Victoria wasn’t taking it at all, standing up and grabbing Max’s arm with a refusal to take no for an answer, “I have lots of clothes, obviously, come with me.”

Max tried to stumble out an answer but she only stumbled over her own feet as she was dragged towards the dormitories.

\- - -

“I’m not so sure about this, Victoria…” Max said, shrugging her plain grey jacket to the ground, “We’re not exactly the same size.”

“It’s close enough,” Victoria retorted, holding up a slightly glittery black top that sparkled in the bright sunlight, “Just… you’re a little bit shorter, is all. So like, no pants. I’ve got plenty of skirts and dresses though.”

Max’s face went bright red, “I can’t… even remember the last time I wore a dress.”

“Well, maybe tonight will be the night?” Victoria winked, “Let me see…”

Digging through her closet, Victoria just tried to enjoy the moment. Yes, this was a dire situation but she’d fixed it for now, right? All she had to do was keep Max by her side until the night was out.

Might as well try to have fun with it, yeah? It might be all you have, forever, Victoria. If you can’t leave the picture vortex. For all you know, you might end up reliving this day over and over again for lack of anything else to do.

Grabbing a couple hangers, Victoria turned around with them to Max’s embarrassment, “I can’t wear those! I’ll look stupid!”

“What, do you think I’d look stupid in them too?”

“No, you can pull off fancy and showy. That’s just not me.”

Victoria refused to listen though, holding out a glimmering, golden cocktail dress to Max, “You’ve probably never even tried. C’mon, Caulfield, it’s not like anyone’s gonna see you but me.”

Cautiously, Max took it and looked at it, “Just… okay, as long as nobody else sees.”

Max slid out of the rest of her clothes, demurely facing away from Victoria. Feeling silly as her plain, everyday clothes were replaced with the golden vision. Scooting over to Victoria’s full length mirror, Max looked uncertain even though the dress fit surprisingly well.

“It looks cute,” Victoria claimed with a sly smile. It did. A foreign look for the mousey girl but there was a charm in the dissonance.

“It’s… it’s a really pretty dress but don’t you think it’s maybe a little dressed up for this party? I mean, it’s more of a fun, casual poolside party, right?”

Max did have a point there, actually, it could be a bit much.

Victoria offered up the second dress, “Try this one then.”

Even though she took it, Max still looked a little unsure of herself but changed into it nonetheless. Plain, standard little black dress. Fit her well once again. She blushed a little was Victoria’s eye followed her meager curves appreciatively.

“I still think this one might be too nice?” Max asked, looking at it at a few angles, “They’re really pretty but I feel like they’re for really fancy parties.”

Nodding Victoria looked down at the last one. Still extremely fancy, “Alright hand them back I think I need to switch gears.”

All three dresses went back into the closet and Victoria rooted around a little more while Max stood there in her underwear.

Victoria wasn’t creeping but it certainly was hitting her that this was the first time she’d had anyone even vaguely unclothed in her room. Honestly, she was a bit surprised Max was so chill about stripping down in front of her. Maybe the little shutterbug was a little less prudish than she’d previous thought.

Max blushed a bit at the next thing she was handed. Short jean shorts and a bandeau top covered in bright pink and yellow flowers, “You have a swimsuit, right? Just wear it under this and you can jump in the pool if you want.”

“I have a conservative bikini? It’s just plain black though.”

“Black shorts then?” Victoria said, immediately procuring just that.

Max slid they on, fitting her like the other had. Looking in the mirror, she certainly looked a little more pool party appropriate.

“Oh em gee, that looks SO much better,” Victoria said, adjusting the top from behind her, “It’ll match what I’m wearing too.”

Max got a bit quiet, even as she examined the outfit. Eventually, after a long silence, asking, “Victoria… why do you want to take me to the party?

You sent me back through time. I have to protect you. I have to change things. I have to atone for what I’ve done. For what I haven’t done. For what I’ve done in countless, innumerable timelines that I can’t even access.

“I… don’t know,” Victoria went with, no better and logical answers buzzing around in her head, “I just feel like it’s what’s supposed to happen.”

“Is it… related to what you did to Kate? I mean, if you feel like you need to prove yourself to me or like you have to keep spending time with me or something. You already helped patch that up when we cleaned the graffiti together.”

Cleaning the graffiti. It clicked crisply and happily in Victoria’s mind. That traipse into her memories stuck. They happened. Whatever she did in this timeline she was peeking back into was a permanent change.

Victoria couldn’t stop the smile crawling onto her face, confusing Max. She knew she had to roll with it though, “Maybe I just liked the time we spent together and would just like to be, like, you know, something more fun.”

Surprised jumped onto Max’s face, followed closely by a wobbly, embarrassed smile as her hand rubbed at the back of her own neck, “Really?”

“Really,” Victoria replied, eyes glinting in the sunlight coming through her window.

\- - -

There were small echoes as Victoria pushed open the door to the pool, gently leading Max by the hand. She’d chanced grabbing it on the way over and the other girl hadn’t pulled away. The tiniest smile when she had.

Taylor and Courtney had left a note for her on the table out front, telling her that all that was left was some sound tests and to make sure the VIP area was set up well. Tightening bolts, nothing else.

Victoria had talked Max into helping, just another excuse to keep her by her side the entire night.

But she was nervous. This was the longest she’d been allowed to stay in a memory and she knew it could end any second with no notice. And this time… she really didn’t. This was nice. If she shut off her brain she could pretend this was just normal.

It wasn’t, though. She was a tourist in her own memories.

Max was peeking through the curtains, testing the rods, “They did a pretty good job with these, I don’t think we really have anything to worry about.”

“Yeah, Courtney’s super handy when it comes to building things. It’s how we met. She was a stagehand her first year here at Blackwell.”

“I guess it’s just the sound system then,” Max said, cautiously approaching it.

Victoria had to admit, she was surprised when it immediately started up. She hadn’t taken Max for a soundboard junkie.

Music pounded in the wide, empty room as Max started coming back to Victoria in the VIP room. The two of them, secluded away in the room of curtains with beats filling the room to the brim.

“Not gonna be easy for people to talk to each other,” Max raised her voice over the music, “But you’re not really supposed to talk, are you?”

Laughing, Victoria shook her head with a wink, “No! It’s not so bad in here though, people can and will still talk. Just gotta get super close. Also, you know, dancing is the main feature at a party anyways.”

A lopsided smile was on Max’s face as she asked, “Maybe you could show me some dancing pointers then? Before I make a dork of myself in front of everyone?”

“Oh that’s inevitable,” Victoria teased as she grabbed Max’s hands, “The secret is everyone in the party’s gonna look like a dork at some point.”

“Even you?” Max asked as the two of them started dancing. Badly.

“Nah, not me. But everyone else,” Victoria winked, her off beat bouncing jostling Max.

For a moment, it was… perfect. Both of them laughing at each others, odd, jumping dancing, holding on tightly to each other’s hands while music shook them to their cores. A pale shadow of the pandemonium they’d have fun with later, instead a private, silly moment.

Suddenly, Max’s foot found no solid purchase as they’d backed closer and closer to the walls of the VIP room.

Improperly hung, right at the edge of the pool, Max found herself falling backwards through the curtains.

“Max!” Victoria shouted as Max’s hands pulled out of hers, the walls of the VIP room falling into the pool with her.

The girlish shriek pierced the music, stopped halfway as Victoria managed to grab her wrists just in time and pull her back up. Leaving only a single foot wet from the pool.

Looking back instinctively, Max saw the curtains floating in the water.

Looking back, Max saw Victoria’s face so close their lips were nearly touching.

The two were frozen like that, blue eyes staring into blue eyes.

Victoria’s heart beat in time with the music as Max craned her neck and kissed her on the lips.

\- - -

White. Blinding white. The second their lips touched.

Victoria’s heart still beating wildly as it dropped into her stomach.

Then. Why did it have to end then?


	7. Drown, Down, Drown

Sighing heavily, Victoria felt only exhaustion as she was suspended there in the vortex.

It felt like she’d been awake for days now, time passing without a night to sleep through. Just being cruelly jerked from memory to memory. Each one another stressful event for her to live or relive.

Did… did Victoria have to sleep? Did she have to eat? The more she thought about it the more she realized her stomach was growling, just slightly. She’d always been able to go without, should she need to. But how long woudl she need to?

Was time passing in the vortex? Was it a pocket reality?

The more Victoria thought about it, the more it made her sick to her stomach.

Could she go mad from lack of sleep? Could she starve doing this? Could… could she die from this?

If she was tired and if she was hungry… god, should she just find a memory she can just eat a bag of chips and fall asleep in? Give herself a break from saving their world to take care of necessities?

Looking around for a suitable photograph, Victoria noticed the vortex was going… a bit faster. She was pretty sure. Just the smallest degree more.

But before she could think about that further or pick a memory that didn’t matter to relax in another hit her foot and flashed her world white. Her choice made for her.

\- - -

It was almost comforting how dark it was, even if she was once again standing in the goddamn courtyard she was beginning to truly hate.

The photo had just been of the place at night, moonlit serenity.

Victoria… she knew what this night was. This was the night she had gone and tried to convince Jefferson to pick her photo as the winner for the Everyday Heroes contest.

The thought of that also made her want to throw up.

In retrospect, even without the knowledge she had now (which she shouldn’t have, chronologically), it was insanity.

Shaking her head, there was no way Victoria was doing that right now. Fuck it. That wasn’t important to the timeline and you know? Who wouldn’t kill for the opportunity to undo something stupid they’d done in the past? Golden opportunity.

She did know Jefferson was still lurking that way though, she couldn’t really go that way without him seeing her. Could always lurk around the long way and make her way back towards her dorm…

Glancing behind her, she realized the door to the pool was unlocked and her stomach growled sharply.

Chips. Taylor always left a bag of her favorite chips in her locker.

Before she could have a more rational thought, Victoria ducked inside.

It was more than easy to locate Taylor’s locker next to hers and put in the combination. Taylor’d told her in case of emergency like locking her blush in there. Again.

Quietly, Victoria muttered, “Sorry, Tay. Emergency. I’ll buy you a family size bag in the future, swearsies.”

Oh good, now she’s talking to herself. The sound of the crinkling bag being ripped open was so loud in the abandoned locker room, causing Victoria to flinch at the thought of being caught. But as she started crunching that quickly became the only thing she cared about.

It hadn’t really sunken in exactly how hungry she was until she started but now, she was ravenous.

The small bag of chips certainly hadn’t been enough but luckily for Victoria, she was a master of breaking into vending machines. Victoria never understood why she had this skill but as she jogged towards the machine she was grateful for it.

It was risky, of course, sticking her arm through the slot but a few bangs in the right place aaand… bingo!

A small rain of cheap bags of cookies and chips rained down.

Never in her life had Victoria been so grateful for crappy vending machine food as she sat down right in front of it and systematically tore them apart and poured the contents into her mouth. Like a dog in a pantry, ripping it apart with an animal fury.

Standing up, she dumped the empty packages into the trash and patted her stomach, “Oh my god, that’s soooo much better.”

Talking to herself again. She didn’t care though, maybe this was just the exhaustion setting in.

If she was foregoing the Jefferson thing, maybe she could get a bit of sleep in. Creep back to the dorms, wrap herself up nice and tight in her soft blankets and doze off.

Augh, but she could never sleep right after eating.

Walking out into the pool area she found it lit up. Samuel probably forgot about it again, he was always terrible about the pool lights.

Wandering the edge of the water, Victoria wondered if soon she’d feel about this place how she felt about the damn courtyard. However, as she passed the spot where Max had almost fallen in she knew that wasn’t true. A small smile turning up the edge of her mouth.

That had been the most romantic kiss Victoria had ever had, made her feel like a knight in shining armor. A lifetime of being the princess? It had been a nice turnaround.

Maybe, after all this is over, Victoria can sit down with Max and they can talk about everything that happened and didn’t happen. Surely, if she keeps wooing Max in the past, Future Max will feel something towards her? Could be kind of cool to share with her all these little tidbits that might be erased, overwritten.

That was… that was a weird thing to think. Victoria hadn’t thought too much about Max in the first timeline or… rather the last full timeline she’d gone through. Just kind of background noise in her. There, affecting her sometimes, but never in the forefront of her mind.

But now? Max felt like Victoria’s entire life. Even if it had just been a couple days.

Looking into the water, Victoria sat down. Pulling her shoes and leggings off, she stuck her legs into the water. Enjoying the ripples around her legs as she kicked her feet.

Sitting right where she’d kissed Max in the future.

Maybe she was truly losing it, falling in love with a girl through snippets of a past that could possibly never be.

The smallest thing could make all of this moot.

And right now a big thing just walked through the doors.

There was a small cacophony of giggling, echoing through the empty pool area as Victoria watched Max and Chloe come through the door. Chloe marching with Max’s arm hooked around hers.

Everyone stopped all at once, all looking at each other in shock of not being alone.

“Victoria? What are… what are you doing?” Max asked, truly not having expected to see anyone there let alone a singular person dangling their feet in the water.

Well, this sure isn’t something Victoria has a good explanation for. Although she supposed the truth might be her ally for once in this time travelling bullshit parade.

“Just… was wandering around, trying to clear my head,” Victoria said, kicking a foot up, “Saw the door to the pool was unlocked. Figured it might be kinda peaceful to have the whole place to myself. Definitely, uh, definitely didn’t expect anyone else to come in here.”

“You gonna snitch?” Chloe sneered before Max gently rapped her on the arm.

“She’s not gonna snitch, Chloe,” Max shook her head, “She’s breaking the rules too.”

“So, why are YOU two breaking the rules then,” Victoria shot back, just a slight edge to her voice from Chloe’s accusation.

“Uh, same reason?” Max replied but the fidgeting of her hands confirmed Victoria’s concerns. Whatever Max and Chloe were up to, it was probably related to that whole find-out-what-happened-to-Rachel business.

Whatever, she was just going to accept their excuse. No reason to push. This was her night off, kinda. Just gonna digest that junk food and pass out in her bed.

Looking at the water, looking at the two girls, Victoria offered, “You guys wanna go for a swim? I got kinda paranoid about jumping in alone but-”

“Maybe we should just go for now, Max,” Chloe said, starting to tug her friend back out towards the still open door.

Max stopped her though, “C’mon Chloe, three’s a party, right?”

Chloe just glared at Victoria though and thinking back, she honestly couldn’t blame her skepticism. Well… she should head back to her dormitory anyways. Even though skinny dipping with Max sounded fun, the addition of Chloe wasn’t quite as enticing.

Getting up, Victoria shook her foot off before pulling the leggings back on, “It’s fine, you guys can have the pool. I should be getting to bed anyways.”

Chloe looked victorious (ironically) until Max piped up, “Don’t worry about it, we’ll have fun. The three of us.”

That last part was pointedly aimed at Chloe who rolled her eyes.

“Fine,” she griped, “But if we get caught we’re pinning it on her. She has the cred that she can get away with it.”

“Deal,” Victoria said, not being terribly worried about a bit of trouble.

“Alright then, ladies, it’s time to party,” Chloe yelled, lopsided smile on her face betraying how quickly she’d gotten over her reservations as she started squirming out of her clothes. Underwear looking like actual swimwear to the point Victoria briefly wondered if it was.

Victoria took to it quickly too, this was far from her first time jumping into a body of water in her underwear. Plain black but sexy enough.

Max was the last left clothed, even as Chloe cannonballed and Victoria swan dived. Swimming towards each other before realizing they were the only two in there. Looking up at her above them, having barely shrugged off her sweater.

“Don’t be such a baby, Max,” Chloe teased, “Ditch your clothes and join us.”

However, right as Max grabbed the edge of her shirt they could hear the sound of a door opening on the other side of the pool. From the internal side.

“Shit, run!” Chloe yelled at Max with a wave, “Go, go, go!”

Max picked up her hoodie and ran back in, towards the girls’ locker room. Chloe made it to the ladder first but Victoria made it out of the pool faster pulling herself up the side. Grabbing her own clothes and chasing after Max.

Chloe’s foot missed a rung though, leaving her to straggled after the others as she tugged on her clothes, “Fuck, it’s the step-shit!!”

Victoria knew just enough about Chloe to know that meant David Madsen was here and oh my god he definitely wasn’t the type to cut them a break. Especially not with Chloe being there.

Looking back, Victoria watched Chloe immediately dive for a small gap between the lockers and the wall. So quick that she kind of wondered if the girl had done this before. Didn't have time to think about it though as Max grabbed her hand and started pulling her towards the bathroom.

“Quick!” Max hissed, “There’s not enough places to hide here! The bathroom!”

Wet slaps of Victoria’s feet just barely had time to fade before there was the sound of David opening the locker room door, “I know you kids are in here!”

Max hushed Victoria as she tugged her towards the furthest back stall of the bathroom. The two of them stepping up on the seat and holding onto each other. Tense, panting breaths way too close to each other as she fearfully listened to David’s stomping footsteps as he searched. Calling out to them.

His yells doubled up with Chloe’s as she was evidently captured.

“Oh no,” Max whispered, “David got Chloe! Should we run for it?”

“No, no, wait it out,” Victoria shook her head, trying to see over the top which only brought Max closer to her as she craned her neck up, “Be quiet.”

They could hear the arguing from here as they made awkwardly close eye contact.

David yelling at Chloe, escalating to ‘Chloe put your clothes on!’, to threats of telling her mother. Chloe’s indignant responses, presumably while she got her clothes back on, saying she wasn’t doing anything wrong.

“Damn it, Chloe, is anyone else lurking around here?” David asked, clear as day to the two in their unpleasant hiding space.

“No,” Chloe lied through her teeth, not about to be a snitch herself, “Figured I’d get some late night laps in. You’re always yelling at me to get off the couch, this not enough for you?”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it,” David’s voice echoed down the hall, “You’re grounded. We’ll discuss with your mother for how long.”

Any further discussions couldn’t be heard by Max and Victoria, still clinging to each other but finally letting themselves breathe as they heard the door close behind them. Both relieved to step off the toilet seat, still holding onto each other and breathing heavily as adrenaline worse off.

“Should we… should we leave?” Max asked, “I’m totally new to civil disobedience, I’m so out of my element.”

“IDK, usually when a party gets broken up there’s like way more cops,” Victoria peeked the door open, finding the pool area open again.

A buzz from her pocket made her jump. Pulling it out, she dictated, “It’s from Chloe. She says don’t let her sacrifice be in vain. I think… I think that means she wants us to stay?”

“Must be, what else could she mean?” Victoria peeked over Max’s shoulder.

Looking down at the now slightly damp clothes in Victoria’s arms, Max shrugged, “Might as well. No one else is gonna come, it’s kind of a weird, bad miracle that David did.”

Victoria couldn’t help but giggle, “You’re gonna have to actually take the clothes off this time.”

Tensions broke, making Max smile, “At least I have slightly less of an audience this time?”

\- - -

Again, Victoria dived proudly in the pool, flipping her short hair out back as she resurfaced with a gasp. Wiping away the chlorine water as she peered up at Max, “Water you waiting for?”

“Oh my god, Victoria! Was that a pun?” Max laughed.

“Tell no one, Caulfield!” Victoria pointed up, “And get in here! Seriously!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Max laughed, lowering herself to the edge carefully.

Treading water towards her, Victoria couldn’t help but giggle. Such a serious look was on Max’s face as she sunk into the water, letting herself dunk completely under the water. Shaking her head as she came back up, flicking water all over Victoria’s face.

“Augh!” she quipped, splashing back, “How’d you splash when you practically drifted into the water?!”

Another wave was sent towards Victoria, “I’ve got longer hair than you! I can’t help it!”

The largest splash yet drenched Max as Victoria easily flipped backwards into the water like a tiny dolphin, disappearing under the water as her friend looked around wildly.

“Victoria! Victoria, don’t!” Max said, curling her legs up under her as she felt something brush her ankle, “I know what you’re doi- KYAH!”

She went under the water from a sudden yank, dunked for only a second before she felt the same hands push her up into the air. Flailing as her brown hair plastered itself all over her face. The grumpy look on her face not deterring Victoria’s laughter as she resurfaced.

“How can you even hold your breath that long?” Max griped.

Victoria just smiled, “My mom put me in synchronized swimming as a kid. Ditched it, like, immediately but I do still like swimming.”

Right now she felt like she was talking to a vine-covered wall right now though. Reaching over, Max flinched for a second as she felt Victoria’s fingers start pushing her hair back for her. Threading pleasantly between wet strands as she plastered it back against her head.

“There,” Victoria said, patting her head, “Now you can see again.”

She tried not to smile as she noticed the slight blush on Max’s face, near impossible to see with the unnatural lighting of the pool. Washing her out except for her blue eyes which were only enhanced, glowing in the dark.

 

It took her a second to realize she still had one of her hands cupping Max’s face gently, for just a bit too long.

Pulling it away, Victoria’s face matched Max’s now, “Sorry, got distracted.”

“It’s alright,” Max said, the twisted up little embarrassed smile on her face betraying her private enjoyment.

For a while they just splashed around like that, enjoying the privacy of getting a whole thing to themselves. Truly the only way to enjoy a high school pool. No mess of sweaty teens shoving into each other, no roughhousing boys, no bickering girls.

Eventually they ended up floating on their backs, side by side.

Max laughed as Victoria grabbed her hand, “What’re you doing?”

“So you don’t drift away, duh,” was her simple answer.

“Like otters,” Max mused, looking up at the ceiling.

A comfortable silence fell over them for a while the water lapped against them gently. Holding onto Max’s hand let Victoria feel…. grounded. If only for a few seconds, things got to be normal.

It was weird to think how congruent their adventure were, yet wholly removed. While Victoria dealt with the chaos of the photo vortex, she knew Max was dealing with her own time crisis. Neither of them could tell each other. For Victoria because she’s truly lose her mind if she talked about nothing but that. For Max because she could never suspect that this Victoria knew what was going on.

For Max she had some control but for Victoria? She was at the whims of a power that even Max herself couldn’t possibly control.

And now… she couldn’t help but wonder. This was the night before the day of the party, right? The day of the party, Max had been dropped off by Chloe. It should… it should be the two of them here tonight, right? Did she disrupt that? Would tomorrow be different? Is it all undone?

Closing her eyes, Victoria felt her brain scream in agony. This was all too much.

Pounding behind her eyes reminded her of her exhaustion as well. Each pulse knocking her further and further back, world going dark behind her eyes. Hand gently sliding out of Max’s. Body starting to sink as she turned, as if falling asleep on her bed.

Victoria could feel the water envelope her like a blanket as she sunk towards the bottom of the pool. Oddly warm, oddly comfortable.

Darkness. Nice, calm, darkness. Sleep finding her where it surely shouldn’t.

\- - -

When Victoria opened her eyes again, she found herself lying on a soft bed. Unfamiliar surroundings. A couch, acoustic guitar leaning against it. Small stack of books.

For a brief, deeply desperate moment Victoria thought and hoped that it had all been a terrible dream. That she’d blacked out at a party and was just waking up in another girl’s dorm. Someone who had taken her to safety.

But the smell of chlorine was suffocating, her hair crunchy against the pillow. Last night had happened, this was the longest a photo had ever allowed her to stay.

Looking over her shoulder she found Max crushed against her side, dozing peacefully.

With some difficulty, Victoria rolled over to face her. Fully aware of how creepy it was to be watching her sleep but somehow not finding it within herself to care.

Slight hunger bit at her but with the rest her head was clearer than it had been in a while.

God this was probably creepy but she grabbed Max’s hand again. Feeling simultaneously so close and so far from her at the same time. Intertwined but separate. Together but alone.

Max looked like an angel when she slept, an odd gracefulness. No thrashing around, no snoring. Just eyes softly closed, chest rising and falling as she breathed.

Again, Victoria found herself pushing Max’s soft hair away from her face delicately with her free hand.

Why had the photo even let her stay this long?

Closing her eyes again, she kissed the back of Max’s hand she still hung onto.

Finding both disappointment and relief in the bright white light blinding her and drowning the world out.


	8. An Angel Up Above

Victoria knew she was getting used to the picture vortex and she also knew that was a dangerous feeling to have.

It was all dangerous though, the most dangerous thing she’s ever done, and she shouldn’t be so familiar with it but as the picture swirled around her she felt almost… comforted. A blanket of her past experiences.

More than anything else it was the contrast. The vortex now represented a moment of being alone, a moment of clarity. Each memory felt like a gamble, even though some of them were turning out quite good. They couldn’t all though. Dread of each memory filled her, what could go wrong, what will go wrong no matter what. The eventualities of her failures.

As every memory ended, Victoria was always left wondering what ramifications it would have on the future and, speaking of, what memory was next?

This time it was clear. For once, the pictures were nearly standing still, the photograph of herself smiling taunting her cruelly. But Victoria knew it wasn’t a thing she could ignore, couldn’t take chances on stumbling into. This had to stay perfect.

Letting her fingers flow through the picture, Victoria closed her eyes against the blinding white.

\- - -

Lowering the camera, Victoria already felt sick to her stomach as she looked at the rain clouds beginning to form above.

This was… this would be, will be, one of the hardest days of her life.

The day Kate had tried to jump off the roof.

Max had told her a bit about it on her end, about how she’d had to pause time and force her way through it, up to the roof with Kate. Talking her down. Victoria had no idea how that was going to affect her in this weird, time flux she seemed to exist in. But she had to… had to at least be here right? Make sure Max is there when it happens?

Looking around the day was so… so normal. Nobody here but her knew what was going to happen. Not even Max herself. Her classmates walked past, laughing and smiling in their blissful ignorance.

There was time until then though. A couple hours, at least. She had a certainty that the memory would allow her to stay that long. Victoria had to… to come up with an excuse to be here with Max.

A picnic. A picnic on the front lawn.

Prior to the last few events, Victoria would have questioned whether Max would do it or not but it turns out the girl is extremely agreeable. She had no doubts that Max would say yes to such a simple request.

But this time… Victoria couldn’t feel even an ounce of happiness or excitement for this. While she’d had some respite during the previous memories this one had a sword dangling over her head.

Worst of all, Victoria couldn’t let her emotions show. Couldn’t let Max see she was upset. She had to pretend to have fun with the biggest ball of sickened fear in her gut. A nightmare, swallowed whole.

What if… what if she failed? What if Kate jumped? Closing her eyes, she tried to remember if she could see photos she’d been in already. She wasn’t sure but she had the feeling she hadn’t. Did she only have one shot at this?

Pushing herself off her bed, she knew that no matter what this had to count.

A mad dash to the kitchen and a couple frantic sandwiches later, Victoria was nearly panting as she dove back into her room with armfuls of that and chips and soda just anything she could pack up quickly.

Her “picnic basket” was actually a purse. A weird trend a few years ago, scarcely a month. Oversized wicker purses. Wildly impractical and unused, until now.

An extra blanket, dragged out from her closet to accessorize this plan.

It couldn’t have taken more than thirty minutes, tops.

Finding Max wasn’t hard, she was just across the hallway this morning. Knocking on her door, the odd, confused look on Max’s face popped out, “Victoria? What are you-”

“I know this is a little crazy but…” Victoria started, “I was wondering if you wanted to blow things off and have a picnic today? Taylor and Courtney totally backed out at the last moment and I already made the food.”

Max looked a bit uncertain, eyes dashing away, “That’s… nice of you Victoria but I was going to call Chloe an…”

“I mean, like, she can come if you want,” Victoria’s heart jumped into her throat, making Max ot back. Not what Victoria wanted but she was ready to endure Chloe’s judgemental looks if it meant Max would stay by the dorms.

Max gave her a skeptical look which Victoria would take, from their time in the pool before Chloe being accosted, was concerns about them butting heads. Max replied, “I don’t know this is a bit sudden, we could try for la-”

‘I don’t know.’ Max’s weak point. Smash and grab, Victoria. Grabbing Max’s wrist she started pulling her out of the room, “It’ll be fun I promise.”

Of course, Max folded almost instantly. She always did, not a girl of strong constitution when it comes to people being nice to her, it seems. Not wanting to disappoint. It took less than a second for Max to give up and walk side by side with her, “So… why me?”

A hard question to answer, given the circumstances considering ‘I’ve been slowly falling for you over the course of several false, replayed memories that may not even happen’ isn’t an answer you can just drop on someone.

“I dunno,” Victoria feigned, “Just… seemed like a good choice. Nice, lowkey day. You’re not, like, predisposed to dramatics or anything.”

“No, not really,” Max said, “Drama finds me though.”

“Yeah but you don’t start it,” Victoria said, ducking into her room to pick up the basket and blanket. Handing the latter to Max to carry, “I just… don’t want anything bad to happen today.”

Cryptic but true. Victoria desperately wanted nothing bad to happen but knew it was so, so likely.

Walking outside, Max looked up at the sky, “It looks like it’s going to rain…”

“Well, if it starts we’ll just go inside and have an indoor picnic,” Victoria replied, a bit shortly, knowing full well it was going to rain. Hopefully it wasn’t also going to rain tiny Christian girls too.

Max was a bit skeptical still but was still lenient enough to let Victoria lead her out front. Watched her lay out the blanket, set down the basket, pull out the food. Sit and pat next to her for Max to join, which she did.

Curling her legs underneath herself, Max prepared herself for a fairly awkward picnic.

\- - -

And awkward it was.

While Victoria fancied herself a bit of an actress, she was only an amateur.

Max took note of how… nervous she seemed. Her eyes seemed to wander all around the campus, looking for something that Max didn’t know about. An animal in a trap.

Well, a Max knew about it but not the one sitting in front of her.

Victoria knew she was blowing it on the “be normal, don’t show how you feel” front. How could she ever blame herself though? She knew what was coming and was more scared of that possibility of failure than anything else in her life.

Even her time in the Dark Room with Max.

The hardest part was keeping her eyes from persistently flicking upward.

Time passed though, Max quietly and privately looking for an out. An hour, at least, of awkward small talk. Trapped by pleasantry.

But as a sudden scream broke the silence, Max looked around frantically but Victoria? She just looked up without a second of hesitation.

It took no time for the courtyard to become flooded, the two of them surrounded by a sea of their fellow students all gawking up in horror at Kate Marsh standing at the very edge of the building high above. A dark figure, looking down at them from a backdrop of rain clouds.

As Max slowly stood up, she started babbling, “Oh my god, Kate?! What is- what’s she-”

Victoria only gaped up, knowing the answer but not wanting to say it. Her silence broken only by a scream as she watched Kate jump off the roof.

Stop. Everything stopped.

Everything except two people.

Looking to her right, Victoria saw Max with her hand outreached straining horribly as she started walking inside. Kate reversing back up onto the rooftop until she was perched on top again. Arms spread like an angel’s wings.

Concentration only breaking as she realized Victoria was moving along with her, albeit seemingly to be struggling against a force she couldn’t control. Time staggering forward for a second as she gawked at her in surprise, “Victoria?!”

God what are you even supposed to say for this situation? Victoria opted for a simple, “Based on how much you’re shaking? We literally don’t have the time to explain.”

Max, having seen only a small chunk of weird shit but still enough to not need to question it, just nodded, “We have to get up there!”

The two of them were out of breath but not out of time by the time they got up on the rooftop. Victoria watching Max reverse it the last bit she could, forcing Kate to soundlessly step off of the ledge and face them.

Lurching forward, time caught up to them. Kate beginning to turn towards the edge again.

“Kate, don’t!” Max yelled out, a shocked Kate whipping back around at the figures that had seemed to materialize out of nowhere.

“M-Max? Victoria? How’d… how’d you get up here?” Kate looked at them with glazed over eyes, raindrops blending with her tears.

This, of course, was something neither of them could explain.

Max took a step forward but that only made Kate take a step back with a shout, “Stop! Don’t come near me! Seriously! Either of you!”

“Kate please, I’m here f-”

“Why is she here?” Kate’s finger pointed accusingly at Victoria.

Max wanted the answer to that question herself but simply had to make something up, “She… she’s been trying to make things better. Remember?”

Victoria’s heart stopped, just a second, as reddened blue eyes locked onto her, “I know… I know she took down the video and helped with the graffiti but… but she can’t rewind time! The video is already out there, the damage is already done. You can’t… you can’t undo that!”

Both of them looking at her made her nearly faint, Victoria’s strangled voice just audible over the rushing winds, “Kate, I know… I know it’s too late to say sorry and I can’t undo what I did but… but people will forget. We’re only eighteen, in our last year of high school. Do you really think people will still talk about it when you’re in college? When you’ve graduated? Ten years from now? Twenty?”

“High school never ends,” Kate narrowed her eyes, making their hearts sink as she took a step backwards, “And the internet is endless! Look at those… those people in embarrassing videos online! Some of them it’s been almost ten years and people still make fun of them!”

“Kate, it isn’t nearly that circulated,” Max said, hand still out in that odd grabbing motion, “It’s not a great situation, it hurts, but it’s not going to be forever.”

“It feels like forever, Max, this is my forever.”

“Please, Kate! It’s not forever, I promise!” Max begged.

This was… this was going bad. Victoria’s shuddering breaths interrupting her thoughts, questioning if it had been this difficult for Max the first time.

Victoria’s heartbeat drowned out the words exchanged. Head spinning, she watched Max and Kate talk. Max was a good friend, she knew… she knew just what to say. But no matter what Max said, Kate kept looking over at Victoria.

Was… was her being there making it harder? Kate certainly was eyeing her warily when she stole glances at her.

Victoria had to say something, something profound. Religion. Kate liked religion. She racked her brain for anything vaguely jesus-y to say but it had been eons since her parents had stopped dragging her to church.

Forever. Something about forever.

“Kate, you need to… you need to think about your real forever, right?” Victoria started, ignoring the sharp turn of Max’s head in fear and shock as she cut into the conversation like a knife, “People who commit suicide don’t go to heaven, right? You need to go to heaven, Kate. It’s where you belong.”

Both them watched Kate’s eyes look upwards, just for a second, just a pause, before she softly replied, “You’re right, Victoria.”

For a second, they thought things were good. Looking up at the sky, Kate looked almost at peace. Victoria cautiously smiling as she stepped forward, reaching out to her…

“I do belong in heaven.”

Relief turned to panic turned to horror, as Max and Victoria watched as Kate stepped backwards again, up onto the ledge.

Neither of the girls could reach her before she turned her back to them.

In a heartbeat, she was gone. Stepping off the roof into the sea of screaming below them.

The sickening sound of over a hundred pounds of flesh and bone hitting the pavement below, reprised by even louder and more anguished shrieks.

But on the roof it was dead silent, Victoria frozen with her hand reaching out to a girl that was already long gone. Max frozen in the same position but reaching for a power that long ran out. Painfully slowly, the two looked at each other. Already teary eyes locking on each other as Max’s face twisted to one of rage.

“Why were you here?!” Max’s cold accusation immediately severed the tie Victoria had on this memory, white flooding in. Rushing over the rooftops, enveloping the world before swallowing up Max too. Leaving Victoria alone in a rush of wind and images.

Panting, crying, Victoria looked around her for the image from that day, for any image from that day, even any image she’d touched before. A memory travelled, a way to return.

They were gone. Every image, every memory, that Victoria had entered and relived was gone.

Alone in the vortex, Victoria finally let the trapped scream escape her lips into the alabaster void swirling above.


	9. Back To The Future

They’re not coming back. The photos Victoria’s been in are gone.

She wasn’t certain of it at first, convinced that if she looked hard enough she’s spot them.

But the more she looked at the images swirling around her, the more certain she was that they were no longer there.

Even more worrisome it seemed like pictures were disappearing or distorting. Adjusting to the world she was shaping, perhaps? Every time she tried to look closer they just dashed away from her. Twisting and turning behind a sea of photos. Growing and shrinking, all at the same time.

Victoria’s eyes still were crying, unacknowledged by the rest of her, shock and grief battling it out and leaving her in a soulless no man’s land.

The storm raged harder around her, no longer feeling like she was in the void but rather trapped in the eye of the storm. If she should try to escape it, it would only rip her to shreds.

It was what she deserved though, isn’t it? It’s her fault. She’s why Kate is dead, was dead, will be dead. Empirically.

And as far as these photographs had changed… Victoria saw no path back to that day.

She didn’t want to but she knew that the only way was forward. Looking at the now unfamiliar photographs, Victoria saw something familiar in one of them.

A deer, far too close to the camera.

Reaching out, Victoria sunk her hand into as white exploded forward.

\- - -

Face to face with the deer, Victoria’s heart beat wildly out of control until it abruptly turned and bounded away.

She found herself almost motion sick as she wavered, head spinning unlike all her previous trips into the various photographs.

Sitting alone in the forest, Victoria looked around and barely had any idea where she was. Only when she caught her eyes on the motel just barely visible for the trees. Reaching into her own pocket she found the key. Max has given her one off the keychain so she could come and leave by herself if necessary.

But when Victoria pulled the keyring out she found not one but two keys dangling off it.

Stomach left far behind, she sprinted to the motel as fast as she could. Slamming into the door, hearing a baby cry in another room. Startled awake by the noise. She paid that no mind though she she flung it open.

The motel room was definitely the same one was before but there were no signs that anyone but Victoria had been in there.

Bursting back out of the room, she ignored the angry mother who had emerged as well to yell at her for waking up the baby. Sprinting to her car, jumping in, and squealing out of the parking lot towards Arcadia Bay.

Through the woods.

Into the desolation.

Kicking open the door to her car, Victoria stepped out onto the ruins of Blackwell. The accursed courtyard, ripped to pieces around her. Fountain exploded outward, concrete crumbled all over.

Each footstep was crunchy, rocks nearly making her twist her ankle at every turn.

Standing in the ruins of the school she looked back towards the town.

Nothing still stood, not even the lighthouse way behind everything.

But this… this wasn’t over yet, was it? Wasn’t this just another memory? Wouldn’t the white come flashing back?

Though, as Victoria went over what she’d gone through in the past visits… this was different, somehow. Not only was it in the future but there was this… lack of a thread connecting her back to it.

This… this couldn’t be it, right?

Kate. Was… was Kate…

\- - -

“I’m sorry, Miss Chase,” the woman at reception looked deeply sorry, “As far as we know right now, there are no survivors from Backwell Academy. Or Arcadia Bay in general. Except for you.”

At least the woman’s face looked sympathetic this time, not judgemental and confused like when she’d first asked for Kate Marsh. Answered with a sharp ‘she’s dead’ that punctured her heart further.

Stumbling towards the waiting area, Victoria collapsed onto one of the boxy, uncomfortable chair.

A couple children ran around her while she stared, dead eyed at the TV.

The news was all about Arcadia Bay. Stating that everyone who had been in the town had been killed in the storm, except for herself who was considered “missing.” Probably for the best, the last thing Victoria could handle right now is some hapless reporter asking her about her feelings on the events that have transpired and why was she making the reporter talk like that in her head? Who talks like that? No one.

But as the segment on the potential body count and wake of destruction ended, a familiar face came up on the screen.

The reporter was asking the questions that Victoria had just derided in her head, holding up the mic for an answer and trying not to look too excited about how juicy this story was.

Jefferson leaned in, just slightly, and answered, “I’m devastated, of course. When Kate Marsh killed herself that was already such a fatal blow to the citizens of Blackwell Academy. But now, to hear that all of my students are dead? There’s no other word for it. Devastated. Just like the town itself.’

He was alive. How was Jefferson alive?! It made sense, of course. After Victoria had inadvertently been the last push that had sent Kate toppling off the room, clearly Max had wanted nothing to do with her. She didn’t keep her and Chloe from danger.

Max went alone to the Dark Room and she was… where was she?

The TV had an answer for that too. Camera switching somewhere else, showing a well dressed reporter standing by the edge of the forest. Behind her, a dug up hole, surrounded by police tape and the uniformed men who had put it up.

Breaking news was plastered over the top as the woman spoke, “We’re onsite by where the Jane Doe’s, now known to be a Blackwell Student named Maxine Caulfield, body was found by authorities after the storm ravaged the area. An autopsy has verified that she, in fact, was killed prior to the storm hitting the city and buried in a shallow grave just barely outside the town.”

Breathing deeply, almost panting, Victoria just shook her head as tears started to rush down her face again, “No… no… she can’t… she can’t be!”

Jerking to her feet, Victoria bolting out of the waiting room, out of the hospital, to her car.

Driving, driving, to an unknown destination.

Finding herself at the motel again, Victoria went inside.

This was just a photograph, a memory she was stuck in right? Yes, a whole new memory, moving forward but surely if she waits it out she’ll return to the memory vortex, right?

That’s how it works, yeah?

But she’s in the current time and Max is dead. Those are… new factors.

Kicking off her shoes, Victoria sprawled out spread eagle on the uncomfortable bed.

Staring at the ceiling, contemplating, crying, until her eyes blinked shut and sleep found her.

\- - -

A week. A week has passed. Living in the present, no hint of going back.

Victoria was increasingly falling to pieces, hiding out in the motel. Only reaching out to her parents, telling them that she was alive.

Alive, but not wanting to be found.

She’d put her phone on a bus to Portland, she should be safe from being found. If she knew her parents, and she did, they were tracking it right there. Find it on the bus. Victoria could be alone for now.

Half of her was holding out for the white, the other half knew something was wrong. Something was different.

Max is dead. Victoria still was struggling with that concept.

If she’s dead, have the powers ended? If Max dies in any timeline, does everything just… stop? All the powers just… end? Everything? It goes back to a regular world?

Wandering outside the motel, Victoria found herself stumbling towards the forest again with her camera in hand.

This was all she did right now, honestly. Wake up in the morning, cheap food at the seedy diner by the motel, wander around the remains of Arcadia Bay mindlessly taking photographs of nothing and everything, eat at that fucking diner again, return to wandering, come back in the dead of night, pass out in the motel room.

Where was she supposed to go from here? The white didn’t find her, the photograph’s story never ended.

This was… this was just her reality now.

Victoria supposed eventually she’d have to go to her parents.

Get some intense therapy, although she doubted it’d do much good. Not like she can tell the shrink what actually happened, if she said a single word about ‘time travelling’ she’d get tossed in the mental hospital faster than you can say ‘go fuck your selfie.’

Sitting on the ruined bench up by the light house she looked down at the ruined town, beginning the start crying again.

This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. Victoria was no longer certain what normal should entail but everyone… everyone being dead? Jefferson still being on the loose? This couldn’t be the intended state of the world, right?

Her heart ached harshly as she thought about how it could have been, should have been.

Deposited safely back into the future, Victoria should have run inside the motel and found Max waiting for her. No longer were they on the run but celebrating their newfound relationship with a little getaway. They’d get lunch at the diner then visit Kate until dinner. Maybe next time she could come on the trip with them, Chloe and Nathan could come too. They could make a whole vacation out of it.

But she had no such future waiting for her, she was fairly certain. Just death and isolation.

She wasn’t entirely alone though, she supposed.

It seemed wherever and whenever she wandered her silent companion was always circling around her.

The deer. As far as Victoria could tell it was the same one each time. Part of her fractured mind wondered if it was even the same deer she’d chased that night she went and found Max. It looked the same but how could she ever be certain?

With very guarded uncertainty, Victoria watched the deer approach her while it’s black eyes remained locked tightly onto her blue ones.

As it nudged the forgotten purse on the ground, Victoria picked up up, “Don’t! My camera’s in there, you’ll crack the lens.”

Why was she talking to a deer? Either way it didn’t care as it started pressing its nose against the bag over and over. Insistent on something that it couldn’t communicate without words it never had.

Victoria reached into the bag and pulled out the camera, showing it to the deer, “See, look? It’s not food. Sorry.”

The deer nudged it again, almost hard enough for her to drop it on the ground.

Fumbling it as it dropped onto her lap instead, Victoria went to yell at the deer before looking down at it. Wanting to make sure it hadn’t been broken or anything.

What she found instead made her jaw drop.

Her preview screen was… was showing the memory vortex.

Looking at the deer than back at the bizarre portal on her lap she only hesitated for a single second before pressing her index finger into what should be glass.

However, it went through.

Like bursting a bubble, suddenly that familiar white flew outward and enveloped her once more.

\- - -

It took a few dazed seconds for Victoria to come back to her senses but when she did she found herself crying once more.

Never would she think she’d be so happy to be within the swirling confines of the memory vortex. But all she could do was cry and laugh, a frantic and panicked noise but a happy one nonetheless.

This wasn’t over. She could try, try again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was sort of an odd, introspective chapter
> 
> despite being a pretty different one from the others i hope you liked it!


	10. Mirrors Reflecting Upon Themselves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a hell of an undertaking, I apologize for any inconsistencies but I think I fixed them all by the end of this. I normally don't write such long chapters with a story as complex as this. At least not in a fanfic, original work sure. Slightly uncharted waters.

Despite her relief at being allowed back Victoria’s heart was still beating wildly as she examined the memory vortex. It had… changed.

The white was now stained with a grey tinted swirling, making Victoria feel a bit dazed. But the much bigger issue was the jarring flashes of white and black that interrupted periodically.

Every time it strobed Victoria could notice something that made her stomach drop.

The pictures kept changing.

Each flash seemed to show her another timeline. Closing her eyes she tried to organize them. Her own timeline, Chloe dead, Kate alive, Max alive, wasn’t the one showed in the original memory vortex. That one… that one was Chloe alive, Kate alive then dead, Max… Max dead? Max alive?

Augh, trying to organize this definitely wasn’t helping her at all. Just as confused, just as scared.

Another flash lit her up again, the pictures turning again.

Her bag hit against her side, something she tended not to think about when she was in here. But this time she looked down at it and very carefully reached inside and pulled out her camera.

The only photo displayed on the viewer was the same photograph of the deer but the background behind it was different.

Was that? Could she just use that to return?

Touching it only caused the vortex to flash again, making it another timeline.

Okay, so, maybe the camera itself was a one way trip to the memory vortex? At least she had that. She had an out.

What should she do? Reach out? Did it matter anymore?

It was hard to say. She didn’t see any photos she’d gone through before but she definitely saw new pictures that hadn’t been there. Especially whenever the vortex was switched to another timeline.

Floating there, eyes wide open, Victoria watched it flicker again.

This timeline was familiar although it was not the one she’d been travelling in up until now.

These pictures… they were from her original timeline. Chloe dead, Kate alive, Max alive.

Another new thing was pulling at Victoria, an odd force dragging her to a particular photo. A more formal one, one she’d taken for Miss Price. At Chloe’s funeral.

She felt almost like she didn’t have any control over her own hand as it reached out towards it and let the bright white light drown her again.

\- - -

Victoria had always hated her funeral dress. Constrictive, scratchy, uncomfortable.

Lowering her arms, the camera stayed in her hands as Miss Price thanked her, tearfully, for taking a picture of her and the casket. Dazed as she promised to send it to the bereaved woman.

Everyone in Blackwell had been invited to Chloe’s funeral. Even now, Victoria didn’t know why she’d gone, even the first time around. She never know Chloe, not on any meaningful level at least. She’d been nice to her exactly once, before her bitch friend had drugged her before the performance of the Tempest.

Regardless, she was standing here. Camera hanging at her side.

Listening to people eulogizing a girl she barely knew.

A pang ripped at Victoria’s chest as she saw Kate, hands folded demurely across her lap. Alive. She was alive in this particular timeline. Of course she was, this was the original timeline. She wanted to reach out to her but… but how could she? They had no history in this one. It would be weird and jarring for her to reach out.

Victoria felt only more guilty as she looked over to Max who looked like a shell of herself. They were the same now. Both of them remembered a timeline that never existed, might never exist. Growing close with someone who would never have the same memories as them.

She only averted her eyes when Max looked up, towards the casket as a blue butterfly landed on it. Just a second.

At that, Max collapsed in on herself. Miss Price trying but failing to catch her daughter’s old best friend as she dropped to her knees with a heavy sob. Helping her up again, holding her up against her side even as her daughter was lowered into the ground.

Dispersing, Victoria drifted after Max. She… she always had to meet her, right? And this time, she DEFINITELY had to talk to her. See… see if Max’s powers could help with this in any way. Maybe if she handled the camera, focused on it… maybe she could fix the memory vortex?

Max didn’t go very far before sitting on a bench and staring at Chloe’s gravestone. Blue eyes weary and reddened, tears still sliding down her face.

She didn’t even react as Victoria sat next to her, bringing up a hand to rub her back in an odd familiarity. It didn’t upset her though, mumbling a “thanks” to her as she continued to stare.

Victoria spoke carefully, “You… holding it together, Max?”

“No,” Max shook her head, hair limply swinging, “Not really.”

“That… that’s understandable,” Victoria nodded, pulling Max towards her with no resistance, “I’m sorry, Max.”

“It’s not your fault,” Max replied, voice too flat, “You didn’t do anything.”

“I guess the problem is I didn’t do anything,” Victoria replied, joining Max in her thousand yard stare.

Of course, Max assumed this was related to Nathan, “You’re not Nathan’s keeper, you couldn’t have guessed things were going to go down this way.”

It was now or never, Victoria guessed. The more she dragged this out the more awkward it was going to be, right? Just get into it, tell her, get it out of the way. There’ll never be a truly good time for it.

“I… I did know.”

Max looked up sharply, “What?”

Victoria stuttered, “Max I… I know about everything.”

“What everything? What are you talking about?”

“Your powers, Max. Your dreams. The storm. Everything.”

Melting from cautious questioning to shocked silence immediately, Max looked like she wanted to deny it but that was… too accurate to be Victoria making something up or trying to tell a joke. Her voice was a ghost of a whisper as she asked, “How… how do you know that?”

“I’m from the future, you sent me back but I don’t… I don’t really have control over where I get placed in time.”

“That’s… that’s something I can do?” Max asked, looking down at her own hands, “How?”

Pulling out her purse, Victoria brought out her camera, “You just like… focused on my camera with me. You were supposed to come with me but I’ve been alone, trapped in this like… tornado of pictures from it. But it’s been mutating.”

Turning her camera on, Victoria was so relieved to see it still showing the inside of the memory vortex. Holding it up, she let Max look at it in absolute awe, “I made that?! I can SEE that, through this?!”

“I think it’s growing more powerful.”

“What happened?” Max asked, getting so close her nose was nearly touching the screen. Jumping back in shock as it suddenly flashed, white then black, and the pictures were different, “Why is it doing that?”

“I was supposed to fix everything or as much as I could but I’ve been… fucking up. It’s hard, especially because I don’t have your powers. I’m just… kind of at the mercy of them.”

“What were you supposed to fix?” Max asked, looking towards Chloe’s tombstone with a twang of pain again, “I mean… Chloe is dead, the storm is-”

“Still coming, Max,” Victoria grabbed her hand, “Chloe dying doesn’t stop the storm. Everyone dies except for me and Kate. I went to visit her in the hospital the night of the storm, it hit while I was apologizing to her.”

“What are… what should we do?” Max looked panicked, hand clawing at the stone of the bench with a frantic energy, “How do we fix this?”

“I don’t… I don’t know…” Victoria admitted, “Best we had was to save Chloe and leave. Somehow convince her parents to leave with us. It’s not… a great option but it’s an option. I’d thought about it a bit on my own and I was going to offer to pay for a vacation, for Nathan’s actions.”

“How are we doing that?” Max asked, examining the vortex closer.

“I’m sorry but I’ve been doing this for the equivalent of a few days and my answer really is I don’t know,” Victoria shook her head, looking down at her hands, “I can’t… do much. I’ve fucked up, Max. I’ve fucked up bad.”

A hand on her shoulder, “What happened, Victoria?”

“It didn’t, it did, it won’t, it will,” she shook her head, “Does it really matter? This isn’t even the same timeline as the one it happened in.”

“Can you… tell the timelines apart?”

“Not really, I don’t even know how many there are now. Like, it could totally be infinite and I’d have no way of knowing! I have no control over any of it, just myself, and I’m finding out that is majorly not fucking helpful.”

For a second the two were quiet, before Max asked one more question, “So, we tried to go in together before but you’ve said it’s changing. Why don’t we try again?”

Victoria jerked her head up, eyes trembling slightly before nodding, slowly and carefully, “We… we can. It doesn’t hurt to try.”

\- - -

They’d headed further into the graveyard, eventually finding a place where no one could see them.

Just like that first time, the two girls held onto each other. Each with a hand on the camera, looking down into the swirling viewfinder.

“How are we doing this?” Max asked.

It was baffling to Victoria that she was in charge, “On the count of three, touch the screen. It took me back lack time I touched it. Maybe it will again.”

Nodding, “Alright. One… two… three!”

Both plunged their thumbs into the screen which wasn’t there, piercing the veil as the both of them were enveloped by white light streaked with black.

Reluctantly, Victoria opened her eyes and it… it had actually worked.

Kind of.

Max was with her, that was for sure, the girl was slack jawed as she gazed upon the memory vortex for the first time ever. Clinging tightly to Victoria, her legs pulled up to herself a bit with seeming discomfort at being suspended in it.

And Victoria couldn’t blame her in the least because even though Max had never been here, the girl could probably tell this wasn’t right.

No longer was the vortex only mildly tumultuous, it was now a full blown hurricane of its own.

Even the images were now being whipped and twisted as they flew by, now impossible to even tell what they were as the dark, cloudy pseudo-weather raged around them.

No longer did Victoria have a calm little slideshow of her life and life that wasn’t but a full blown, apocalyptic storm.

Lightning blinded them, thunder crashing immediately after, causing the pictures to change. At least what little they could see of them. And Victoria couldn’t quite tell but it almost looked like images from different timelines were showing up at the same time.

Max yelled over the cacophony, “Victoria!! Have it always been like this?!”

“No!” she yelled back, “It was like, a little windy at the very worst!”

“I don’t… I don’t think it likes me being here!”

“Try to control it!”

That was a tall order for Max but she reached out her hand to try, hoping this worked like the rest of her powers.

It did, somehow. Not completely, the storm was still going nuts around them but she was able to stagger the photos to a slow pace. Squinting a concentrating further, Max was able to bring photos forward.

“Oh my god, you’re actually controlling it?!” Victoria crushed Max into a hug, “You can do that?! I could kiss you on the mouth!”

Again, she thought, quietly, to herself. Max didn’t know about those.

“H-hold your horses because this is crazy hard and I don’t-” Max said, the pictures jerking forward before she manages to stop them again, “Activate one of them, quickly!”

Victoria clung to Max, hands held as she moved forward towards the pictures. Quickly examining them before her heart went wild at one of the images being from… from that day. In some timeline.

Her hand went into it, the world went white.

But that wasn’t where they went.

Max looked around in confusion, “I thought… I thought that picture was by the Blackwell dorms?”

“It… it was?” Victoria asked herself, asked the world.

But the world around them didn’t care, it was very clearly the inside of the Two Whales Diner. Victoria still holding her camera dumbly up, having taken a photo of a particularly perfect plate of french toast.

“Has this ever happened before? Have you gone to the wrong memory?”

“No, no, there’s… there’s never been any problems with that!” Victoria exclaimed, staring dumbly at her food, “But… look, I’m sorry but I’ve eaten like once in the past few days, I need this.”

Max looked around in concern as Victoria frantically started eating her meal, some animal part of her brain wanting to go to Joyce for comfort but knowing it would be weird to say the least.

When she looked back, Victoria was miraculously almost done with her food. Opening her mouth, Max barely got the words “How long are these memories usually?” before the whole world flashed black, then white and they were back in the memory vortex.

Victoria still had the syrup on her face as she gaped, “What?! How are we-”

“This isn’t normal either?!” Max exclaimed, reaching out to grab Victoria again, “What’s… what’s happening?!”

“I don’t know!” she responded, Max not resisting being pulled into a tight hug, “It’s… it’s all going wrong!”

“Victoria, I don’t think the vortex likes me being here!” Max yelled, thunder cracking in response, “Let’s… let’s try again! Get us out of here!”

Obliging, Victoria touched another. Sitting on the fountain by Nathan.

Black, then white. Then bright, flashing colors as they reached their incorrect destination.

The End of the World party raged around them, leaving them dazed by the sudden light and noise.

Alone in a sea of bodies, Victoria and Max clung to each other. Unknowing and uncaring about the people around them whispering about their sudden closeness. About Max pulling Victoria away from the party, to the secluded locker rooms.

Her voice was loud in the echoing room, “These memories are…”

“This… this isn’t normal,” Victoria said, still holding onto Max’s elbows to keep her close, “Something’s wrong, I’ve never had a memory be that short. It’s… it’s always at least an hour. Even a whole day, sometimes.”

“It’s… my presence, right?” Max asked, “It does-”

It ended. White, then black, then the storm screamed around them.

Only a second, only a second of time, just long enough for them to watch Kate fall.

Just long enough to scream.

Black, white, vortex. Max in shock, Victoria nearly in tears again.

“K-Kate…” Max replied, sounding miles away, “We just…”

“That’s… not the first time that’s happened.”

“What?!” Max asked, “That’s… that’s what’s been happening?!”

Victoria tried not to burst into tears but did as another photo brushed against them in a white and black flash.

At least, where it took them was an appropriate place to be crying her eyes out. Hidden away, in the back of Kate’s funeral. Max didn’t know what to do, just pulling Victoria towards her to try and muffle her cries against her scratchy dress.

Glazedly gazing around the room, Max only recognized most of these people from the photographs in Kate’s room. All sitting there in quiet mourning, a dazed and empty look identical on each of their faces as they looked towards the closed casket. Couldn’t have put her together, Max supposed.

That thought twisted in her gut and mind, the too fresh image of Kate plummeting towards the ground playing over and over in her mind. Grateful only that they’d been pulled out of the memory right before they could see her hit the ground.

It was weird, going from Chloe’s funeral to Kate’s in what felt like only a half hour. Walking another graveyard, seeing where Chloe’s tombstone would be. Only a few rows away from where they started lowering Kate.

This memory, unlike the last two, was going much longer. Letting them stay the entire ceremony. Letting them leave. Leaving them sitting in Max’s dorm, Victoria a mess on her lap.

Running a hand through Victoria’s hair, Max felt foreign having no control of this weird mutation of her powers, “Are you okay?”

A dumb question but Victoria answered like it wasn’t, “No. That’s… that’s the second time I’ve had to watch Kate jump. Different perspective though. Can’t tell which was worse.”

“Has everything gone that wrong, so far?” Max asked.

“No… no, Kate jumping was really… the only thing that went wrong. What started to fuck with the vortex too. It’s like… the damn thing knows I fucked up.”

Victoria’s face scrunched up further, burying itself into Max’s lap as she started to cry harder again. Max needed to do something… a distraction? Would a distraction work?”

“What have the rest of the memories been like, Victoria? What have you been up to?”

It seemed to work, Victoria even pushing herself up to hug her knees to her chest, “Well… I’ve just… been chasing you. Every memory, I know i have to try and find you. I mean, you’re the key right? It’s weird though…”

“I mean, by default it is, but what do you mean?”

Max watched Victoria’s face go through an absolute litany of emotions, most predominantly uncertainty, before she spoke again, “We… we got together in a few of them. Never anything seriously but…”

A smile, the first she’d seen on Victoria’s face. There for only a second before paranoid creeped onto her face. Wide eyes examining Max’s for signs of… rejection? Disgust?

Admittedly, Max didn’t know how to react to that but figured she had to, “That’s… surprising. But I guess it’s only surprising because of how this particular me met this you? Under better circumstances, I could see it.”

Saying she could see it was a stretch but it made Victoria smile so she’d take it.

“Yeah, those particular memories were much better circumstances,” Victoria nodded, “This one… this one’s not great.”

“Well, if you look on the bright side, we’re not jumping around anymore?”

VIctoria did seem relieved at that but her next question came out uncertainty, “This is stupid and kind of crazy but like, I’ve barely slept. Would you mind if I...”

“Go… go ahead, try to sleep for as long as you can,” Max said, “If we’ve got no control here… just, go ahead.”

Max was a bit surprised as Victoria grabbed her and gently laid her down, scooting over closer to rest her head on her chest. Wrapping an arm around her after flicking the light off. Lying there in the dark as Victoria drifted off, Max knowing wasn’t going to get any sleep herself.

She couldn’t blame Victoria though. Survival mode, she supposed. If she’d been doing this for days with no food or sleep, she’d be prone to passing out too.

Victoria had become just like her. Isolated by these… these weird, unknown powers. And she didn’t have the dignity of being allowed to stay in timelines for more than a little bit at a time. A day, tops? Max hoped they could stay in this one long enough to let her sleep for a bit.

With some difficulty, Max managed to dig into her pocket and find her phone. Luckily the light didn’t wake up Victoria as she started to read things on her phone. Mindless articles, meaningless pages.

While her eyes scanned her brain was elsewhere. These… disruptions. Clearly Max herself was causing them. Possibly because she was just a random Max, snatched from a random memory? Maybe she was from a different timeline than Victoria entirely. Probably, actually. It sounded like Kate had lived in this Victoria, Victoria Prime’s, original timeline.

God this all made her head throb but it also got it whirring.

Her powers… everything about them, every iteration of them, seemed to lead to a storm.

Be it the memory vortex that Victoria was trapped in or the storm that was coming for Arcadia Bay.

Simply her existence seemed to provoke them.

Everything she touched… she destroyed.

A knot twisted in her stomach and she tried to quiet it. Keeping her mouth shut, letting Victoria sleep. Hours passed with Max draped in existential dread while Victoria quietly snoozed on her chest. Unaware of what her chronologically displaced friend was thinking about.

Eventually, Max’s eyes closed too.

They didn’t see the flash of white, they didn’t see the flash of black.

Neither of them had any idea of how much time had passed by the time Max opened her eyes in the memory vortex and shook Victoria awake.

Both of them pulled their legs up, interlocked, avoiding the images whirling around them.

Victoria started asked a question, “What happene-”

Max cut her off though, “I have to tell you something. Quickly. Before we get dragged away again.”

Flinching slightly at the flashing around them, Victoria nodded, “What is it?”

“Victoria I think… I think I’m the problem.”

“Uhm, like, no offense but ‘no shit.’”

“No, not just with the memory vortex. With everything.”

Stiffening under her grip, Victoria caught what she meant immediately, “With… with all the storms?”

“With all the storm,” Max nodded, “I… I thought about it all night. This storm… it’s my second storm. How many more storms do I have to create before I destroy everything?”

“Big deal, we can handle the storms-”

“No, we can’t. Can’t handle the first storm, can’t handle this storm. How many people have to die, Victoria? How many lives am I worth?”

“More tha-”

“I’m not. Not when I’m the thing causing them in the first place.”

Victoria’s voice reached a frantic pitch, “But if we can just get back to before Chloe was shot-”

“Think about it, Victoria, think about what happened. The storm comes even if Chloe lives and it’ll come even if we manage to get some people out of the town. I think-”

“Max, NO,” Victoria shook her head violently, fingers digging into Max’s arms as mascara blackened tears started to roll down her face, “No, no no!! We can’t fucking do that! It’s insane!!”

“We have to, what other options do we have?”

“We… we can try to get everyone to evacuate-”

“It won’t work. If it had worked, we would have seen it. I’m sure of it. I’ve been keeping my eyes on the pictures when I slow them, Victoria. There’s no favorable outcome. At least… none that have me alive.”

“But we can’t just-”

Max paid no mind, even as Victoria shook her in an iron grip, “I think… I think things split when Nathan shot Chloe. But I think… Chloe’s survival isn’t the key. When that butterfly distracted me, made me hide-”

“Do you hear yourself?!” Victoria cut her off, wailing, “This is fucking ridiculous!!”

“Victoria, I have to die. Back then. When I was supposed to.”


	11. Correcting Itself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler notes at the end but non-spoiler notes up here! I'm sure I'll write more LiS fanfic now that I've finished this. I've got a whole list of fics I wanna do and Life is Strange has one of my biggest lists.
> 
> I'm not ship-picky but more Chasefield isn't off the table. Just mixed with plenty of Pricefield, Chasemarsh, Amberprice, ect. lol

Victoria’d fought it, violently, vehemently, but she… she knew, deep down, that Max was right.

For a few minutes that few like a few years, they’d levitated there in the memory vortex trying to figure out how to send this particular Max back to her own timeline.

The solution was simple though. Everything tied back into the camera. Touch the camera, go back to your time. At least, that’s what little they seemed to know so far. Max had hesitated for a moment before craning her neck up just a bit to kiss Victoria on the cheek, “I’m sorry you have to go alone.”

Victoria nodded, tears still streaming down her face, “I am too.”

Experimentally, Max touched the viewfinder of the camera and was gone in a flash.

With a start, Victoria tightly grabbed the camera as it was suddenly suspended in air. Alone. Like her.

Alone and… quiet.

Everything stopped the second Max was gone.

It was jarring for Victoria to look around at the completely frozen images around her. Her vortex no longer a vortex just… a gallery.

Now seeing it clearly, Victoria knew the photos were scattered across countless timelines. Nothing following any semblance of order. Erratic. But now she could at least see which ones were which.

That day… it was practically under a spotlight. Singled out. Glaring at her.

Flinching, Victoria averted her gaze. Eyes latching onto a memory so old, it was from before Max even knew about her powers. Before she posted that video of Kate. Before Nathan started truly spiralling. Before anything.

She could say goodbye, couldn’t she? A calm goodbye. With no time vortex bullshit.

Reaching out, Victoria gently touched the surface of the picture and let the white wash over her.

Opening her eyes it was the first day of the school year. Jefferson’s class.

Victoria felt herself seize up as she looked at the man, benignly reading a short passage from the textbook. Her mind yelled for her to run even though she knew there was no… direct danger right now. A well lit classroom, not in his sights.

Looking over at Max, she found the girl happily doodling in her notebook while Jefferson wrapped up the class. Jefferson made her want to run away. Max made her want to run towards her.

But she just had to sit there in her seat. Legs crossed, mind twisted. Trying to not think about what would come after this small memory.

Class ended, Victoria didn’t wait a second in approaching Max.

The girl jumped when Victoria stopped next to her, tapping her shoulder. Looking up and smiling at the person she didn’t yet know, she tried to make a good first impression, “Hey! Can I help you?”

“Just figured I should introduce myself to Blackwell’s newest,” Victoria put a hand on her own chest before offering it, “Victoria Chase. You?”

She felt like an absolute joke asking that, knowing what was coming later. But Max herself knew nothing, “Max Caulfield. Nice to meet you.”

“You’re having lunch with me,” Victoria asserted, grabbing Max’s upper arm and tugging her up.

Amenable as always, Max just laughed a bit nervously, “Okay?”

Despite her nerves, Max felt better sitting on the fountain with her new friend. Victoria was keeping it together perfectly, insisting on just… just enjoying this isolated moment. Even if it didn’t happen or if it did.

“Your lunch is like… way fancier than mine,” Max said, marvelling at the far too intricate boxed lunch Victoria had. Always had been a sucker for Japanese food.

“You can try some if you want,” Victoria said, cracking her chopsticks in half. Looking at Max’s lunch, simply a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Classic. Easy.

“Maybe I will,” Max replied, “I’m always up for trying new things.”

“Speaking of new, how are you enjoying Arcadia Bay?” Victoria asked. Knowing the answer was ‘I lived here before.’

The entire conversation was this. Victoria asking question she already knew the answer to, Max happily answering. Surprised that someone was already so eager to talk to her but cheerful about it.

At the end of lunch hour, Victoria watched Max reach into her bag and fish out a familiar camera. Her first one. She looked meek as she asked, “Do you… do you mind?”

Victoria shook her head, letting Max scoot over and put an arm around her. Raising the camera above their heads and snapping a picture, both of them smiling. For a brief moment, Victoria being allowed to forget everything with Max pressed against her.

But as she put it down, reality came down again. Her smile growing a bit pained, Victoria hugged Max tightly. Maybe a little too tightly, maybe a little too long, “It was really nice to meet you, Max.”

“Uh, it was really nice to meet you too,” Max giggled, patting her back a bit awkwardly, “We’ll hang out again soon? Maybe this weekend?”

Letting go, Victoria nodded, “that… that sounds really great.”

The bell rung high above, telling them to get moving, Max hopping to her feet and starting to jog away with a cheery, “See you later, Victoria!”

“See… see you later, Max,” she waved back as she watched the white rushing into Max, beyond her, enveloping them both.

The image was glaring at her. She’d been hanging out in a side hallway with Courtney when Chloe had been shot. Just finished talking to Jefferson, went out to meet her. The gunshot had scared the shit out of her then, hadn’t seen it coming in the least. This time… this time she knew.

Going over in her mind what she had to do she swallowed heavily. If she distracted Chloe, it would just be Nathan and Max in that bathroom, and he would… Her hands curled into tight fists, balling up her skirt in her fists.

The worst part was how much she wanted to cry but she had seemed to have run out of tears. Too tired, too crushed for even a single drop to roll down her face.

Pressing her palm flat against the memory, white wrapped around her.

The hallway was slightly crowded. Courtney was waving behind her as she headed off. Memory was foggy but she was fairly certain she was going to meet Taylor. She wanted to go with. Spend the day normal. Leave Chloe to walk in, let happen what will, let the storm come, run away with Max.

But… Max would just keep causing storms. Something in her gut knew that was true. The one that destroyed Arcadia Bay, the one that she was currently trapped in… that wasn’t the end. It would never be the end.

Part of her wanted to chase that horizon with Max but so many would die and it would just kill Max to know she was the cause.

She can see the bathroom door from where she’s standing.

Victoria heart skipped a beat as she watched Max make a beeline for the bathroom. Wanting to chase after her so bad but rooting her feet to the ground. Feeling only growing as Nathan walked in, unwittingly, a few seconds later.

But only when she saw the flash of blue hair did Victoria move. She had to keep her in place, had to… had to let Nathan...

Grabbing Chloe’s arm, she expected a fight but while she looked initially annoyed when she realized it was Victoria her face softened. To her shock, Chloe put her in a friendly headlock with a wide smirk on her face, “Well if it isn’t my best friend’s girlfriend. What’s up, Icky Vicky?”

Best friend. Girlfriend. What?

Victoria gaped like a fish, “N-nothing much, Chloe. Just… wondering if you’d seen Max?”

Grasping at straws, Victoria was surprised how good she was at adjusting to radical timeline changes as Chloe accepted that answer and released her, “Nah, I’m not here to see Max. No clue where she is. Just got some, uh, business to attend to.”

“What’re you up to?” Victoria grabbed her arm again, keeping her in place.

Chloe laughed, nudging her hand off, “Don’t worry about it. You want some plausible deniability with me, remember?”

Looking over her shoulder, Victoria could see the door. Blanching she nodded stiffly, “Y-yeah. You’re always up to something.”

“Hell yeah I am,” Chloe gloated before taking a closer look at her face, “Hey, uh, are you? Are you alright? Shit, you look like you’re about to pass out.”

A hand on her ice cold forehead, Victoria denying, “N-no, I’m… I’m fine…”

“Are you sure? You look like you’re gonna blow chunks.”

“I’m fi-”

The bang pierced the air, Chloe grabbing Victoria and pulling her away from the source of the noise, “WHAT THE FUCK?!”

But just as the sound had punctured the air, the death punctured the universe. White seemed to come rushing at her from all directions. Permeating her existence as it washed away Max’s remains, Nathan, Chloe, Blackwell, everything. Leaving her floating once more.

Closing her eyes, Victoria found herself able to cry again.

Things shifted around her, she could feel the world changing but she didn’t dare to open her eyes and watch.

Only when she felt resistance, her legs folding underneath her did she chance opening her eyes.

Her dormitory. Again, Victoria found herself in her scratchy, uncomfortable funeral clothes. The heavy weight in her hand her camera. Looking down to it, she turned it on. No deer, no vortex. Just a normal camera.

Looking around, Victoria’s room was… different. Her self portraits were gone, the wall looking not unlike the photo wall in Max’s room.

Crawling over to it, Victoria touched the wall almost reverently as she examined the pictures.

In the center of the wall was a photo that was clearly not hers. Old school, from the type of camera Max used. It was the only one she recognized. That… that one last memory she allowed herself to say goodbye in. Sitting on the fountain with Max.

See you later, Victoria.

See you later, Max.

Tears flooded her eyes as she looked around the wall in a daze. Memories formed themselves in her mind as she poured over them, the timeline correcting itself further as it filled in the blanks.

That day had happened. A nice, quiet lunch with Max. A pleasant meeting. They’d had many afternoons like that between then and now. After just a little while those had become dates. Actual dates. Not her first significant other but her first girlfriend.

People had talked, or course, but it had… just changed everything. Victoria had never posted the video online, hell, she’d… she’d stopped anything from happening to Kate. Max’s friend, can’t let that happen.

Max had gone to see Chloe much sooner. Less than a week after arriving in Arcadia Bay. She’d been angry but having Max sooner had made her much happier.

Victoria and Chloe had struck up a weird friendship. Initially only for Max’s sake but they’d become actual friends too.

Things had been… nice. The feeling was sharp in her gut, even as she could remember everything it was more like something she’d watched in the movies. A sharp contrast to the all-too-real hell she’d lived in the memory vortex.

But those memories never happened. None of that was real to anyone other than herself.

Tearfully, she recalled the time since Max was shot.

Chloe, always the impulsive one, had run to the bathroom. Hearing her scream only reiterated on what Victoria already knew.

Max Caulfield was dead.

When Chloe had reemerged, yelling for help and covered in blood she’d run right past Victoria. Looking for a teacher, any adult. Victoria had just slumped to the ground, in a pile as Nathan wandered out. Muttering to himself, eyes wild.

When he’d spotted Victoria, he’d shuffled over. Only able to offer a weak ‘I fucked up. I’m sorry.’ before collapsing in on her.

Pressed into her old friend’s chest, Victoria had cried. Clinging to him until the police showed up and pulled him away from her. Him yelling panicked apologies at her as he was dragged off campus.

In all that had changed, Victoria had still failed him.

The funeral had been the first time Victoria had met Max’s parents. Painful to introduce herself to them as Max’s girlfriend in this state. With her gone.

They had hugged her anyways.

Since then, Victoria had been alone in her room.

Only occasionally visited by Kate and Chloe, bringing her snacks. She was grateful, especially since it was going to be a while until she was going to be able to visit Nathan. Being alone probably wasn’t the best for her right now.

Not to mention the recovering from her time in the vortex. The things she saw. Things that never were, never will be. Things she was grateful were never going to happen. Things she wanted to happen more than anything else.

Kate and Chloe comforted her the best they could. They knew she hurt and in some capacity they knew why but deep down the real pain resided in Victoria remembering what didn’t happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally reached the end! I really hope everyone enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I know people were hoping for a happy ending but my fanfics, especially my Life is Strange fanfics, are a mixed bag of happy and sad stories.
> 
> This particular story was one I was very invested in. I wanted it to follow a similar path to the actual LiS games. Like, as if they made a Chasefield game. Victoria as the playable character, Max as the doomed love interest. A game of nostalgia and tragedy mixed with time-based nightmares.

**Author's Note:**

> if you want, check out my tumblr, [catisacat](http://www.catisacat.tumblr.com/), i also like to draw \o/


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